WSJ: The Lancet magazine commission dismissed a group of scientists who studied the Covid-19 due to suspicion of bias

The Chairman of the Covid-19 Commission of the Medical Journal of The Lancet, Professor of Columbia University Jeffrey Sax, announced the dissolution of a group of scientists who studied the origin of coronavirus due to suspicions of bias. About this writes The Wall Street Journal.

Sax said that he made such a decision due to the connection of scientists with the American non-profit organization Ecoheallth Alliance, which collaborates with the Utan Institute of Virology.

“I just didn’t want the working group so clearly associated with one of the main points of this study of the origin [coronavirus], which was Ecohehalth Alliance,” the professor quoted the publication.

WSJ notes that NPOs used American funds for coronavirus research in bats together with the Utan Institute of virology located in the city where the first outbreak of Covid-19 occurred.

Until June of this year, the head of the working group of scientists was the president of the organization Peter Daszak. Some members of the group collaborated with Daszak or Ecoheallth Alliance itself in the framework of project activities. According to one of the scientists, there are no conflicts of interests between members of the dissolved group that would prevent them from collecting and evaluating data on how the virus appeared in the human population.

Jeffrey Sachs emphasized that The Lancet commission will continue to study the origin of the Covid-19 as part of the preparation of the report, which will be published in mid-2022. At the same time, the commission intends to expand the sphere of its activities by including other experts on biosopoving issues.

In mid -September of this year, a group of scientists from the USA, Great Britain, France, Switzerland and other countries released an article in The Lancet, which states that at present there is no need to widely use third doses of coronavirus vaccine.

Among the authors of the publication are Marion Gruber, ex-director of the sanitary supervision of the quality of food and medicine (FDA) for the research and review of vaccines, and its former deputy Phil Krause. Both officials resigned after the regulator supported booster injections.

Scientists said that the effectiveness against serious diseases after vaccination remains high, and the spread of boosters is associated with certain risks, including the possibility of side effects, such as inflammation of the heart, which is most often found after the second dose of MRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech vaccines).