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GandalfGrey's avatar

We need an international treaty similar to the test ban treaty. GOF work should never have been done in the midst of a crowded metropolis.

The Pandora's box is open and cannot be closed. If we must have GOF, it should only be done in Antarctica with strict containment measures. Workers must not return to the mainland before at least a 2 week solitary quarantine period.

Many doctors question whether there is any practical purpose for gain of function work. A virulent naturally occurring pathogen will not ever be exactly like one created in a lab, and we will never be able to create and distribute a vaccine for such pathogens in time to halt its spread.

Also, we should not forget that this research is done for the benefit of the pharmaceutical industry. They are and should be held responsible for this pandemic, not be treated as heroes.

It's as if BP offered to clean up the Macondo spill and then sent us the bill for the shoddy cleanup job. Then they got credit from our esteemed media (sponsored by pfizer) for their heroic work saving us all.

The year is 2009....

https://www.pharmatimes.com/news/pfizer_to_build_r_and_d_facility_in_wuhan,_china_984211

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Dan Jordan's avatar

"First, they [CDC, NIH, etc.] demanded that young children be masked in schools." Did these institutions demand, or merely recommend? At least the writer did not use the verb "mandated," which is also a common mistake when describing or implying the level of institutional authority. If the writer claims these institutions did what they haven't the authority to do - demand - then the writer should provide links to buttress that loaded term. I find no such evidence during a quick DuckduckGo search, but rather "guidance,", "recommendations," and "guidelines."

Even WebMD is confused, interchangeably using the terms "required," "mandatory" and variants of the root term, "recommend" in this article about masking in health care settings: https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20220928/cdc:-masking-no-longer-required-in-health-care-settings

Shouldn't health care professionals such as the author of this article, and WebMD, know the difference?

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