More than a year ago, in February 2020, a group of 27 scientists wrote a letter published in The Lancet condemning “conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin.”
Although The Lancet — like other medical journals — requires contributors to disclose any financial or personal interests that might be viewed as possible conflicts of interests with their submissions, the 27 said “We declare no competing interests.”
June 21, 2021, The Lancet published an addendum admitting that “some readers have questioned the validity of this disclosure, particularly as it relates to one of the authors, Peter Daszak.”
As a result, The Lancet asked the 27 signers to “re-evaluate” their competing interests and to declare any “financial and nonfinancial relationships that may be relevant to interpreting the content of their manuscript.” So far, Daszak has updated his previous claim of having no competing interests to include a 416-word disclosure statement clarifying that, indeed, he had several conflicts of interest.
First, his employer is EcoHealth Alliance and EcoHealth Alliance receives funding from a “range of U.S. Government funding agencies and non-governmental sources,” all of which he says are publicly listed.
Second — and most importantly — Daszak also explained that, although its work with China is currently unfunded, he and the Alliance have collaborated with various universities and organizations on research in China. Specifically, this work includes studies of bats and viruses, including “the isolation of three bat SARS-related coronaviruses that are now used as reagents to test therapeutics and vaccines.”
SOURCES:
Twitter June 21, 2021
The Lancet February 19, 2020
The Lancet June 21, 2021