I mean, good? They did cause a global pandemic costing trillions of dollars and millions of lives, so maybe they should just chill TF out for a while?
Given that lab escapes have happened multiple times and might have caused a global pandemic, the burden of proof should be on showing that the research is worth the significant risk it carries.
Defaulting to assuming that the risks are negligible and everyone concerned is scared for no reason is an absurd and dangerous take.
What there is, is a risk analysis, which means you have to consider the risks of any particular action as well as in NOT taking the action. I've seen literally no discussion about the risks of NOT taking the action.
I'm reminded of self-driving cars, because we're worried they might lead to the deaths of thousands of people each year. Meanwhile, over a million people die each year in car accidents. Conclusion: best to let those million people die each year.
So why continue to fund such dangerous research if the research will be hidden when we actually need it?
Wow. Just wow.
It's statements like this that make me think we should indeed halt all virology research, and really all medical research and development entirely. We deserve what we get.
I spent a long time investigating the effectiveness of everything governments did during COVID. None of it worked and a lot of it backfired badly, lockdowns being only one of the most prominent examples. Even the vaccine programme was a disaster: the data claiming otherwise turns out to have all been juked in various ways. We'd have been better off without governments doing anything at all.
That's an awfully bold claim, unless you have proof that covid-19 occurred naturally. Defaulting to your preferred reality and ignoring the potential risks is not a responsible way to guide research policy.