Who Were the ‘Higher Ups’ Pushing Leading Virologists to Rule Out the Lab-Leak Theory in 2020?

When Danish virologist Dr. Kristian Andersen appeared before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, he was adamant that it was an honest reading of the available evidence — and not any political consideration or the interference of governmental authorities — that led him to deem the lab-leak theory of Covid’s origins “implausible.”

That was the conclusion Andersen reached in a highly influential paper he co-authored along with leading virologists from around the world in February 2020. The paper, “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2,” quickly became the most widely cited piece of evidence used by public-health authorities, most prominently Dr. Anthony Fauci, to knock down the lab-leak “conspiracy theory” in the ensuing months.

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Jack Crowe

Jack Crowe is the senior news editor of National Review Online.

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When Danish virologist Dr. Kristian Andersen appeared before the House Oversight Committee earlier this month, he was adamant that it was an honest reading of the available evidence — and not any political consideration or the interference of governmental authorities — that led him to deem the lab-leak theory of Covid’s origins “implausible.”

That was the conclusion Andersen reached in a highly influential paper he co-authored along with leading virologists from around the world in February 2020. The paper, “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2,” quickly became the most widely cited piece of evidence used by public-health authorities, most prominently Dr. Anthony Fauci, to knock down the lab-leak “conspiracy theory” in the ensuing months.