Physician-Scientist Steven Quay and an International Team of Scientists and Investigators Provide Science-Based Analysis of the Origin of COVID-19 to the US Congress

Rhea-AI Summary

An international team of scientists, led by Dr. Steven Quay, has published a paper suggesting that a laboratory-acquired infection could be a more likely origin of COVID-19 than natural zoonotic transmission. The paper, presented to the US Congress, highlights insufficient biosafety levels in Wuhan labs and the absence of animal-to-human transmission evidence. Dr. Quay advocates for treating the lab leak theory as the primary hypothesis until new evidence emerges. Quay, a prominent figure in medicine, has contributed significantly to pharmaceuticals and pandemic survival strategies.

Positive

• Dr. Steven Quay's paper presents a scientifically grounded hypothesis regarding the origins of COVID-19, potentially influencing future research and investigative efforts.
• Dr. Quay's extensive experience and credentials lend credibility to the findings, which may impact public perception and funding for related research.

Negative

• The suggestion of a lab leak raises concerns about biosafety protocols at research facilities, which could lead to regulatory scrutiny.
• The lack of evidence for natural zoonotic transmission might complicate efforts in understanding and mitigating future pandemics.

SEATTLE, July 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An international team of scientists and data analysts, led by Physician-Scientist Steven Quay, MD, PhD, has published a paper entitled, "Science Not Speculation Should Inform the Investigation of the Origin of COVID-19," in which they conclude: "Until new evidence is found, an investigation of the pathway for the origin of COVID-19 should proceed with the assumption that a laboratory-acquired infection or research-related accident is at least as likely, if not more likely, than a natural zoonotic transmission."

The paper was submitted to the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight hearing, Principles for Outbreak Investigation: COVID-19 and Future Infectious Diseases," held on July 14, 2021.

The preprint, available here, uses the WHO Report and other reliable data sources to conclude:

• Coronavirus research at laboratories in Wuhan, China was conducted under biosafety levels (BSL-2 and BLS-3) that are, in general, insufficient for human pathogens.
• The location of a SARS-like coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, the city with the leading SARS-like coronavirus research institute in the entire world, makes a laboratory research-related event a leading hypothesis.
• Unlike with previous natural zoonotic epidemics, there was no evidence of pre-pandemic animal-to-human transmission and no evidence of an intermediate animal host.
• The virus was genetically pure at the beginning of the outbreak and the genetic signature of animal-to-human transmission, found in 50% or more of early patients in previous epidemics, is absent with COVID-19.

"A research-related accident involves a single transmission of a pure virus to one human and then human-to-human spread," said Dr. Quay. "In a lab leak there will be no animal hosts found outside of the lab, no pre-epidemic human infections in stored blood samples at local hospitals, and the virus will have no background diversity in its genome. The investigation to date of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic has established these predicted results for a lab-related event as undisputed facts. Until new evidence is uncovered, future investigation should proceed with the lab leak as the leading hypothesis."  

About Steven Quay, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Steven Quay has 360+ published contributions to medicine and has been cited over 10,000 times, placing him in the top 1% of scientists worldwide. He holds 87 US patents and has invented seven FDA-approved pharmaceuticals which have helped over 80 million people. He is the author of the best-selling book on surviving the pandemic, Stay Safe: A Physician's Guide to Survive Coronavirus. He is the CEO of Atossa Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ATOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for oncology and infectious diseases.

He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from The University of Michigan, was a postdoctoral fellow in the Chemistry Department at MIT with Nobel Laureate H. Gobind Khorana, a resident at the Harvard-MGH Hospital, and spent almost a decade on the faculty of Stanford University School of Medicine. A TEDx talk he delivered on breast cancer prevention has been viewed over 220,000 times.  His scientific manuscript entitled, "A Bayesian analysis concludes beyond a reasonable doubt that SARS-CoV-2 is not a natural zoonosis but instead is laboratory derived," has been viewed over 115,000-time. For more information, visit www.DrQuay.com

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SOURCE Dr. Steven Quay

FAQ

What is the significance of Dr. Steven Quay's paper on COVID-19 origins?

Dr. Quay's paper suggests that a lab-related incident might be a likely cause of COVID-19, impacting ongoing investigations and scientific discourse.

When was the paper on COVID-19 origins submitted to Congress?

The paper was submitted on July 14, 2021, during a hearing on outbreak investigations.

What key conclusions were drawn in the paper regarding COVID-19's origin?

The paper concludes that laboratory-acquired infection or research-related accidents are at least as likely as natural zoonotic transmission.

Who led the research team that published the paper on COVID-19 origins?

The research team was led by Dr. Steven Quay, a physician-scientist with extensive experience in medicine.

How might Dr. Quay's findings affect future research funding?

The findings could shift focus and funding toward investigating lab safety and origins of viruses, potentially enhancing preventive measures.