Two weeks before researchers released the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to the world, another Chinese scientist secretly posted it on a U.S. government website.
The previous post does not change the origin of the virus, whether it was caused by a live animal market or leaked from a scientific laboratory.
However, questions have once again emerged as to how much and when China knew about the virus. This suggests that vaccine development could have started sooner. And it raises new questions about how much the U.S. government knew, or should have known, about the virus in its early stages.
“The late-submitted findings highlight the importance of rapid data sharing during outbreaks, as the immediate release of sequences could save thousands of lives per week in the United States alone,” said Dr. “This could have accelerated the development of a vaccine by several weeks,” virologist Jesse Bloom wrote online Wednesday.
Republican members of Congress expressed outrage Wednesday after the post surfaced. For more than a year, they have requested documents showing when the National Institutes of Health first learned about the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the series of posts on Wednesday after Republican officials released a statement.
Official timeline
Chinese government officials claim they first confirmed the new type of pneumonia in late December 2019 and reported that it was caused by the new coronavirus on January 7 or 8, 2020. The government has repeatedly said it will be open and transparent on this matter. The virus reveals what it knew as soon as that information is relevant and confirmed.
But the fact that the virus’ genetic sequence was posted on a U.S. website on Dec. 28 contradicts this official timeline, said Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, which has closely followed the virus’s early stages. virologist Bloom pointed out.
“This sequence itself does not provide new insight into the origin or early spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan,” Bloom wrote in the post. “However, the fact that researchers affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and the National Health Commission possessed this sequence by at least December 28, 2019 suggests that the cause of the pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan was the first. This contradicts the Chinese government’s claim that the matter remained unknown until the investigation.” Week in January 2020. ”
where the sequence ended
According to records in GenBank, a genetic sequence database run by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the genetic sequence of the then-unknown virus was created by Dr. Lili Ren, a virologist at the Institute of Pathogen Biology, part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Submitted by. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from Peking Medical University in Beijing.
Her submission clearly lacked the technical and non-scientific information requested by GenBank, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Congressional Energy and Commerce Committee. After submission to GenBank, data is subject to automated and manual processing to ensure integrity and quality, and is made publicly available.
Ren was notified on December 31st that her post would be deleted within a few weeks without further information, but she does not appear to have responded.
“Despite NIH’s follow-up with Chinese scientists for further information and answers, the submission in question could not be verified,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in an email Wednesday. Ta.
While officials were waiting for that information, another Chinese group submitted a nearly identical sequence with verifiable details on Jan. 12, a spokesperson said, which “NIH scientists They were used in research to understand the origins of the new coronavirus infection.” . ”
The spokesperson, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there is still more to learn about the early days of the pandemic to better understand how to prevent future pandemics.
“HHS has consistently and voluntarily provided thousands of pages of documents and official expertise to Congress as part of our efforts to promote transparency and understanding about the origins of COVID-19,” the report said. the official said.
Republicans are chasing information
Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), have been trying for months to get more information about the virus’ origins and when U.S. officials knew about it.
“This important discovery further highlights why we cannot trust any so-called ‘facts’ or data provided by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), and questions the validity of scientific theories based on such information. “It raises serious questions,” the paper said. The release was signed by members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, including Chairman McMorris Rodgers, Brett Guthrie (R-KY), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA).
“The American people have a right to know the truth about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, and our investigation will show how taxpayer dollars are being spent, how the government’s public health agencies operate, and the need for more medical care.” A number of concerns have come to light, including: oversight of research grants to foreign scientists,” the release continues. “In addition to better preparing for the next pandemic, our findings will help policymakers strengthen U.S. biosafety practices and strengthen oversight of research funding.”