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Of course, the big news comes with possibly an even bigger caveat: according to the WSJ’s source, bird flu might be exempt from the temporary ban, which would beg the question: why?
Ifthegain-of-functionpauseshouldapplytoanything,itshouldbetothevirusthatthepublichealthauthoritieshavepromisedoverandoverandoverwouldbethetriggerforpandemic2.0.
Related: HHSCutsFederalFundingtoEcoHealthAlliance,‘Nonprofit’ThatBankrolledWuhanLab
Thisisnotapermanentban,andostensiblyitdoesnotapplytoprivate-sectoractors.
Butlet’snotlookagifthorseinthemouth.
ViaWallStreetJournal(emphasisadded):
TheTrumpadministrationispreparinganexecutiveorderthatwouldhaltfederalfunding,atleasttemporarily,forariskyandcontroversialkindofresearchintovirusesthatmakesthepathogensmoredangerousorcontagious.
ThegoaloftheorderwouldbetostopscientistswithU.S.fundingfromconducting“gain-of-function”researchonvirusesthatcouldendangerhumanhealth,peoplefamiliarwiththeplanssaid.
Someviruses,suchastheH5N1bird-flupathogen,mightbeexemptfromtheorder,oneoft