Michelle Dang

What started the COVID pandemic? So let's start here. Now, the truth is that we don't know exactly where the virus came from before it showed up in humans. But the best scientific thinking and what most virologists and epidemiologists think happened is that the virus came to us naturally through animals. And we're getting more and more evidence on this.

What started the COVID pandemic? So let's start here. Now, the truth is that we don't know exactly where the virus came from before it showed up in humans. But the best scientific thinking and what most virologists and epidemiologists think happened is that the virus came to us naturally through animals. And we're getting more and more evidence on this.

Despite that, President Trump and others have long theorised that COVID-19 started from a lab leak in China. Here's Nature reporter Max Kozlov again.

Despite that, President Trump and others have long theorised that COVID-19 started from a lab leak in China. Here's Nature reporter Max Kozlov again.

Wouldn't it be convenient that if... Have you gone to COVID.gov recently?

Wouldn't it be convenient that if... Have you gone to COVID.gov recently?

Yeah, and I do want to emphasize that a lot of the information on here right now is just truly misinformation.

Yeah, and I do want to emphasize that a lot of the information on here right now is just truly misinformation.

And that's because this idea that the COVID virus leaked out of a lab is part of the explanation for this new executive order that came out just a couple of weeks ago. And what it does is it's putting a pause on what the administration is calling dangerous gain-of-function research. So think if you take a virus or a bacteria and you tweak it in a way that might make it more deadly or contagious.

And that's because this idea that the COVID virus leaked out of a lab is part of the explanation for this new executive order that came out just a couple of weeks ago. And what it does is it's putting a pause on what the administration is calling dangerous gain-of-function research. So think if you take a virus or a bacteria and you tweak it in a way that might make it more deadly or contagious.

And it's this kind of research that the Trump administration claims was happening in China and caused the pandemic. Now, the order says that federally funded research doing dangerous gain-of-function research has to stop for 120 days while the administration creates a new policy on this.

And it's this kind of research that the Trump administration claims was happening in China and caused the pandemic. Now, the order says that federally funded research doing dangerous gain-of-function research has to stop for 120 days while the administration creates a new policy on this.

And if a scientist disobeys this order, it means they could be banned from receiving federal funding for up to five years.

And if a scientist disobeys this order, it means they could be banned from receiving federal funding for up to five years.

So halting dangerous gain-of-function research, that might seem like a good idea, but Seema, the virologist from Emory University, along with other virologists, are saying that the wording of this order is so vague that they're worried a bunch of really important research is going to be affected here.

So halting dangerous gain-of-function research, that might seem like a good idea, but Seema, the virologist from Emory University, along with other virologists, are saying that the wording of this order is so vague that they're worried a bunch of really important research is going to be affected here.

Yeah, so scientists tweak viruses and bacteria for all kinds of reasons. to help us understand the risks of bird flu, for example, or to study superbugs. There's even cancer research that alters viruses so that they attack tumors, which is very cool. But Seema's wondering, is all of that work going to be affected here? Does all of that work now have to be on pause? We just don't know.

Yeah, so scientists tweak viruses and bacteria for all kinds of reasons. to help us understand the risks of bird flu, for example, or to study superbugs. There's even cancer research that alters viruses so that they attack tumors, which is very cool. But Seema's wondering, is all of that work going to be affected here? Does all of that work now have to be on pause? We just don't know.

And for Seema, what's a little frustrating here is that there's already a bunch of rules around how scientists do this kind of work. Even before Trump got in, the Biden administration introduced a new policy that added more scrutiny to this kind of research. Here's Seymour again, talking with our editor, Blythe Terrell.

And for Seema, what's a little frustrating here is that there's already a bunch of rules around how scientists do this kind of work. Even before Trump got in, the Biden administration introduced a new policy that added more scrutiny to this kind of research. Here's Seymour again, talking with our editor, Blythe Terrell.