Read more about Why scientists have become more vocal about lab leak theory lately on Business Standard. If the two most vocal poles of the argument are natural spillover vs. laboratory leak, these new voices have added a third point of view: a resounding undecided
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If there’s one thing about COVID-19’s death toll that researchers seem to agree on, it’s that the official count is probably way too low.
But the extent of the undercount is a source of contention.
That may help explain why, when the influential Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle released a new model this month suggesting that the true number of COVID-19 deaths around the world was more than double the figure from the World Health Organization, response from other experts was mixed.
Some researchers who were interviewed for this story said the model seemed solid, but just as many criticized it, suggesting the team glossed over the uncertainties inherent in estimates like these and didn’t share sufficient detail about how their statistical sausage was made.
Coronavirus update: Another new treatment drug, investigating the virus’ origin
Fewer people are filing unemployment claims 05/27/2021
Total U.S. confirmed cases: 33,192,974 (33,171,024)
Total U.S. deaths: 592,432 (591,116)
Total global cases: 168,520,476 (167,961,302)
Total global deaths: 3,500,945 (3,488,454)
FDA gives emergency approval to new treatment drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to a new coronavirus treatment drug made by GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology. The monoclonal antibody drug has been shown to be effective in treating early COVID-19 infections.
The drug, called sotrovimab, is the third antibody product that the FDA has authorized to treat patients in the early stages of the disease but who may be vulnerable to a severe case.
SCIENCE; (DATA) OUR WORLD IN DATA
All told, 14 billion doses could leave factories before the year is over, according to a document written in advance of a March summit about stepping up the production pace. That s a startling number before the pandemic, all of the world s vaccinemakers together produced at most 5.5 billion doses annually and the document stresses that it s the best of all scenarios. “We have a set of manufacturing challenges that make it unlikely that we can meet the 14-billion aspiration,” cautions Lurie, who helped organize the meeting.
Raw materials, such as disposable bags that line bioreactors, filters, and cell-culture media, are the biggest challenge. “Raw material inputs have nowhere near kept up with the anticipated demand,” Lurie says. Importing and exporting delays have exacerbated the shortages, and travel bans have made it difficult to move experts around the world to troubleshoot manufacturing snafus. Almost every vaccine producer has failed
Scientists Donât Want to Ignore the âLab Leakâ Theory, Despite No New Evidence
Many scientists welcomed President Bidenâs call for a more rigorous investigation of a virus lab in Wuhan, China, though they said the so-called lab leak theory was still unlikely.
Security officers stood guard outside the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by members of the World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic in February.Credit.Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse â Getty Images
May 27, 2021Updated 12:54 p.m. ET
On the heels of President Bidenâs abrupt order to U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, many scientists reacted positively, reflecting their push in recent weeks for more information about the work of a virus lab in Wuhan, China. But they cautioned against expecting an answer in the three-month time frame of the presidentâs request.