> I assume grant funding dried up, since who could guess that after 2 outbreaks that we'd have a 3rd?

Yes, that's what I've read. Any US research scientists still working on SARS-1 after 2003 were told "you're on your own."

Kudos to Canada for being as diligent as Taiwan in attacking COVID-19 - they remember it wiping out Toronto hospital staff in 2003. Check out the Youtube CBC channel for their impressive nation-wide mobilization.

Makes you wonder wtf Chinese virology labs were doing for 20 years with coronavirus if they weren't working on a cure, doesn't it? (There's 40 labs total across China.)