Gigi Gronvall @ggronvall Twitter profile

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Gigi Gronvall

2 months

Because COVID origins is suddenly topical again (hmmm because it is an election year?) I thought I’d share again the article @LawrenceGostin and I wrote on the topic.

Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

Happy to share @LawrenceGostin and my new (free access) article on COVID-19 origins in @NEJM , which includes a timeline for investigating the origins and other related events. The Origins of Covid-19 — Why It Matters (and Why It Doesn’t) | NEJM

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

12yo: why isn’t school virtual? More than half the class has COVID. Me: 😡😳😭😷

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@nprscience

Meet Rosalind Franklin, a sidelined figure in the history of DNA science

In "The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix," Dr. Howard Markel tells the complicated tale of what he calls one of the most...

www.pbs.org

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@NateSilver538 Still doesn’t matter— the majority of people could believe COVID came from aliens and it wouldn’t change the fact that there is little scientific support for that view. The important thing is to understand what actually happened—it is a scientific issue not a popularity contest.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

For people not in the scientific world: “debate” is not something that generally happens. Instead, scientists give talks, present posters at conferences, and publish, all of which offer opportunities for peer review, critiques, and discussion of the data or its interpretation.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Because of the attention on COVID-19's origin, many are learning about the mysterious flu season of 1977, the so-called "Russian Flu." It was nearly identical to a 1950's H1N1 strain. It was def not a natural outbreak, but also not likely a lab accident.

The Reemergent 1977 H1N1 Strain and the Gain-of-Function Debate | mBio

ABSTRACT The 1977-1978 influenza epidemic was probably not a natural event, as the genetic sequence of the virus was nearly identical to the sequences of decades-old strains. While there are several...

journals.asm.org

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

While people are thinking about science and work culture-- here's a story from when I was an undergrad at IU, when Nobel Laureate and IU alum Jim Watson came to speak. I was so excited to meet him, I went early and even brought my Molecular Biology of the Cell for him to sign.🙀

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

I really hate when journalists cover scientific stories but don't understand the science so all they cover is personal drama and innuendo, plus they are easily manipulated by their sources.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

I’m glad this Nobel laureate was called out for sexist comments. But did he have to be called out by an early career female scientist? Where were the other (mostly male) laureates and why didn’t they challenge him? Those men in attendance needed to do much better.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

@NateSilver538 @K_G_Andersen Hi Nate, because it is 2023, why not check out this great paper by @LawrenceGostin and me about what we actually know about the origin of COVID. People who are upset that the scientific evidence is not supporting their preferred theory are just trying to change the subject.

Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

Happy to share @LawrenceGostin and my new (free access) article on COVID-19 origins in @NEJM , which includes a timeline for investigating the origins and other related events. The Origins of Covid-19 — Why It Matters (and Why It Doesn’t) | NEJM

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

Sloopy in his new tank! (camouflage left over from a national history day project on the Panama Canal) ⁦ @giantcat9 ⁩

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@thor_benson I spoke to gg about anthrax in 2008/9 (the person the FBI determined was responsible for the anthrax letter attacks died by suicide, I am a biosecurity expert and worked at USAMRIID )… he was pushing his false narrative the whole time. Was grateful it was a live segment.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@NateSilver538 Where Covid came from is a scientific issue not a rhetorical debate… or a popularity contest. Good. Grief.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 months

Kudos to @jocelynkaiser for covering this (and the scientists who filed the complaint!). Ebright and Nickels have been heaping abuse and misogyny on others for years. I hope that more articles will follow to profile Ebright who has had outsized influence on policy

News from Science

@NewsfromScience

2 months

A dozen #COVID19 scientists have filed a formal complaint with Rutgers University alleging that two faculty members violated the university’s policies by posting “provably false” comments that are often defamatory and that could incite harm against them.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

In 2008 Glenn Greenwald @ggreenwald kept trying to get me to falsely say that the US has an offensive biological weapons program. He has an anti-US agenda divorced from facts and it’s irresponsible for news outlets to have him on about this serious topic.

New York Times Pitchbot

@DougJBalloon

2 years

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

"While political leaders have locked their borders, scientists have been shattering theirs, creating a global collaboration unlike any in history."

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Scientific misinformation was a problem before COVID...but it's gotten worse. In the lead up to the 2020 election, one example was the "Yan report" which claimed SARS-CoV-2 was deliberately engineered. It contained sciency-sounding but nonsensical terms jumbled into a preprint.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

New: The Contested Origin of SARS-CoV-2, published in Survival @SurvivalEditors a publication of @IISS_org . This topic has been full of charged rhetoric. My aim is to provide clarity, to focus on preventing future pandemics from the likeliest pathway.

The Contested Origin of SARS-CoV-2

This article describes what is known about the origin of SARS-CoV-2, with implications for policy, biological research and public-health surveillance. Theories about the origin include a natural em...

www.tandfonline.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

Since I published on the origin of COVID-19 describing why a natural emergence was more likely (and how it relates to the GOF research debates), the scientific evidence has only gotten more voluminous. It's still current and written for non-scientists, give it a free read.

Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

New: The Contested Origin of SARS-CoV-2, published in Survival @SurvivalEditors a publication of @IISS_org . This topic has been full of charged rhetoric. My aim is to provide clarity, to focus on preventing future pandemics from the likeliest pathway.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

In case this is my last tweet before twitter shuts down... just wanted to say this was my favorite moment, when my cat Sloopy was honored by @giantcat9 . I am so grateful for the people on here who spread joy, share accurate information, and who tweet pictures of cats.

Giant Military Cats

@giantcat9

4 years

@ggronvall Thank you for your service Sloopy

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

For anyone thinking of trying to get a religious exemption for weekly COVID testing — you should know that no aborted fetal cells were used in the making or development of COVID tests. For those who are hearing this request from employees… these requests should be DENIED.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

@benjaminwittes Stay strong. I bought a plant and it turned out it couldn’t be trusted— thankfully my cat saved us.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

In 2022, the US STEM workforce is still missing many women, even though they have gotten PhDs in equal numbers in bio for years. Changing this culture from the top can not only help many people find an enriching and profitable career in science, but it will also help the country.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

The US does not have an offensive biological weapons program. Full stop. On the other hand, Russia has been recently & credibly accused of violating the Biological Weapons Convention, a bad habit they have had since 1975 when it came into force. Excellent reporting @Justin_Ling

Justin Ling (Has Left)

@Justin_Ling

2 years

Yesterday I wrote on a fast-moving conspiracy theory that seeks to rationalize Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and marry it with a tangle of QAnon paranoia. Let's look at how this theory came to be — and how it's still being promoted by Moscow.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@NateSilver538 I believe you owe them all an apology.

Flo Débarre

@flodebarre

1 year

As already indicated in the introductory statement of our report, we had followed GlSAlD's rules and made best efforts to collaborate. Last night, we sent proofs of these efforts. Our access has been restored. I invite people who questioned our integrity to apologise to us.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

[this tweet is left intentionally blank]

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

Perhaps @drdrew missed this info before booking @DrLiMengYAN1 , but her claims have been thoroughly debunked. She uses sciencey sounding words but strung together they make no sense and her conclusions are wrong. Nonetheless, you (and @TuckerCarlson ) give her a platform.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

Happy to share @LawrenceGostin and my new (free access) article on COVID-19 origins in @NEJM , which includes a timeline for investigating the origins and other related events. The Origins of Covid-19 — Why It Matters (and Why It Doesn’t) | NEJM

The Origins of Covid-19 — Why It Matters (and Why It Doesn’t) | NEJM

It is worth examining the efforts to discover SARS-CoV-2’s origins. But regardless of the origins of the virus, the global community can take steps to reduce future pandemic threats.

www.nejm.org

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

In other words, to imply that scientists are weird or shady for not debating is either pretty disingenuous or —best case—ignorant

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

A reminder that when you see misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines on here, don't spread it by retweeting or quote tweeting, even if you are doing so to point out that it is wrong. Deplatform the lies, and spread accurate information, instead.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

A female post-doc wrote an excoriating letter to the editor with advice: "To all those undergraduate women in the audience, please do not let this person discourage you from a career in science. Women have played, and continue to play, a major role in all branches of science..."

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Watson said women could not be scientists, didn't have the brains for it. Many were beautiful, made life pleasant, but couldn't compete. Those who did were undesirable. Watson also espoused racist theories about intelligence... eventually the audience had enough and pushed back.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

7 months

I am pleased to share my response to the White House request for information about proposed oversight rules for dual-use/P3CO research. The proposed rule changes would significantly and adversely impact the way biological research is conducted in the US.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@Eve6 I’ve read that you just need to throw yourself at the ground and miss.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

@NateSilver538 The lab leakers weren’t silenced (by the previous administration, by reporters like Josh Rogin, by many of the LL, by outlets like Bulletin of atomic scientists, by you) and furthermore evidence suggests the LL were _incorrect_.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

(In defense of my exceptional naivete, I started at IU as a piano major so was pretty new to the science scene. I hadn't read The Double Helix. I was in love with biology and wanted to be a scientist more than anything. Everyone who has heard Watson speak knows how this ends.)

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Thank you @beyerstein for capturing why @Ayjchan and @mattwridley can keep the lab leak theory alive in spite of mounting contrary evidence. What is most upsetting, really, are the One Health issues that won't get discussed while they line their pockets.

This Terrible Book Shows Why the Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Won’t Die

New research has undermined many of the narratives in Alina Chan and Matt Ridley’s book, “Viral.” But there’s always an idea around the corner.

newrepublic.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

@VPrasadMDMPH I can’t think of a virus that is good to get infected by— implying there is a benefit is misinformation. One may not be able to avoid all the annoying colds out there but they are def not good for you.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

This is an excellent piece by @Justin_Ling . It describes some of the major problems with the 'lab leak' theory (still wonder about the origin of that term...which hasn't been often used to describe lab accidents before)

The Lab Leak Theory Doesn’t Hold Up

The rush to find a conspiracy around the COVID-19 pandemic’s origins is driven by narrative, not evidence.

foreignpolicy.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Of course, this post-doc was right. But here is what the professors did to warn students either about a predictably discouraging talk from Watson or what they did to address it after:

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@NateSilver538 A reminder that the evidence we know about strongly supports a natural origin and any intelligence would need to square w that context. It’s not saying it couldn’t happen, but that serious people should be skeptical and wanting more information.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

There's so much great info available on our Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security website on COVID-19, but just wanted to call your attention to our new tracker for serology tests. We will be updating frequently.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

@DrSamiSchalk I feel like I missed some opportunities on recent papers now. I’ll correct on the next one— sorry, Sloopy and Skiff.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

In addition to vaccination, improvements to ventilation can limit COVID spread to protect children and keep them in school (IN-PERSON!). 1. Schools should bring in as much outdoor air as HVAC system will safely allow and upgrade filtration @polsiewski

Publications | Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

Our publications keep professionals informed on the most important developments and issues in health security and biosecurity.

centerforhealthsecurity.org

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@toxicologist12 Seems pretty reasonable! And better than sending DoorDash to your kid’s school if they forgot their lunch…😹

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

A reminder to all that the origin of COVID is not a rhetorical debate, it is a scientific issue. Any new information will need to be put into context with what is already out there, which strongly supports a natural emergence.

Edward Nirenberg 🇺🇦

@ENirenberg

1 year

@ggronvall

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

@NateSilver538 An alternative way to read @KatherineJWu ‘s excellent article (which quotes some terrific influenza researchers struggling to figure out whether flu is likely to be bad this year and why there is so much uncertainty) is that you should just get your flu shot.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@NateSilver538 I used to wonder— how could people believe in the four humours and bleeding etc for HUNDREDS of years even though none of it was true? I now realize it’s because people had strong instincts on that theory because thinking our health was determined by bile is pretty legible.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

Virology research was essential to develop life-saving SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and will be critical to respond to, and possibly prevent, the next pandemic. However, the field has been challenged by proposed rules and laws threatening progress against pandemic threats.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

It was more grumbling than rebellion, but one woman shouted that we weren't "girls." (thanks to the IU librarian for finding this stuff for me!). In a letter to the paper, one (female) student noted that this was Rude. Odd/not odd that the racism was unmentioned.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Waiting for this day for a long time. Feeling grateful. 💜💜💜

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

In my opinion, schools should _not_ lift mask mandates at this time. Why not? 1. COVID transmission is better now than 2 weeks ago but it’s still high! 2. I do not want cases to erupt and force in person schools to close. This is my first through ten thousand reasons actually.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

No, what happened in Sverdlovsk (1979) was not a "lab leak." It was likely an accident, but the anthrax came from an illegal, clandestine bioweapons manufacturing plant, and thus has vanishingly little relevance to any accident from any bioresearch lab

Soviets Once Denied a Deadly Anthrax Lab Leak. U.S. Scientists Backed the Story. (Published 2021)

The accident and a subsequent cover-up have renewed relevance as scientists search for the origins of Covid-19.

www.nytimes.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@joshshepperd I played a funny little video w a penguin dancing for some young coworkers. I said— ‘guess the band!’ They didn’t know. ‘It’s the Sex Pistols’, I said. They turned red and asked ‘That’s a … band?’

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

Happy to share my new piece @lawfareblog on why the evidence points to a natural emergence— not a lab leak— for SARS-CoV-2. Also about why we need better regulated markets internationally & how much important stuff we have left to discover in virology.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

What difference this make? To individuals? A lot. To the country? Also a lot. US competitiveness policies often focus on making sure S&T isn't inappropriately taken. But they should also work to foster the best research environment possible for scientists.

Maintaining US Leadership in Emerging Biotechnologies to Grow the Economy of the Future | Health...

Health Security

www.liebertpub.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

And I'm sure this sorry episode was repeated many times-- Watson had quite the track record.

DNA scientist James Watson has a remarkably long history of sexist, racist public comments

"People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty," he said in 2003. "I think it would be great."

www.vox.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Lab safety has changed a lot since the 1970's (no more mouth pipetting, eating, drinking, smoking in the lab, just to start!) which would make it a poor example, anyway, but the evidence is against 1977 flu being a single-point lab accident.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

@toxicologist12 @NaturesPoisons People always asked me (background in biosecurity) “omg are we all going to die?” And I would say yes, because… well, we are all going to die at some point. (I’m not invited places but hopefully someday!)

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

@drdrew Just some of the vaccines I needed before I could travel internationally, or I’d be turned away by border patrol.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

We describe the two main origin theories -- lab leak or natural-- but the scientific evidence lies with a natural emergence. It is unlikely that this will deter doubters, however, as it is always possible that there is something we do not know (like a progenitor strain). Still.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

@KevinMKruse My dad, a white Presbyterian pastor, went to Mississippi for freedom summer in ‘64 to register black voters and was shot at and chased by dogs.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Thursday morning thought-- where did the phrase "lab leak" come from? I don't think I have heard it often used to describe laboratory accidents before...for example, it wasn't mentioned in this piece about the SARS exposure in 2003

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

We concluded the bulk of the evidence rests with vaccine trials as the origin of 1977 flu: the unnatural origin, mildness of disease, widespread dissemination in a short amount of time, temperature sensitivity , contemporary observations, and live-virus vaccine trials ongoing.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

@Dr2NisreenAlwan I was astounded when I learned that chicken pox vaccine is not routine for children in the UK. Such needless suffering for kids (and their parents!) when a vaccine is nearly 100% effective.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Available scientific evidence strongly points to a natural zoonotic event as the origin of SARS-CoV-2. However, while viruses infect vulnerable hosts in a naturally occurring process, it is human activity that leads to opportunities for some viruses to make the jump into people.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Can journalists please retire Richard Ebright's grossly inaccurate, admittedly colorful but nonetheless wrong depiction of a BSL-2 lab as being comparable to a dentist's office? I'm torn between being concerned about his dental health and amazement that people believe him.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

So, I watched the Russell Brand video. Those promoting it in earnest either 1. Don’t understand the technical import of the preprints he’s sort of discussing 2. Do understand and don’t care as the science is immaterial to their preferred narrative. Not sure what else it could be?

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

It's great testimony @K_G_Andersen , but I am sorry this sorry spectacle is occurring, and that a Congressional committee is treating US scientists this way. So many people should be feeling ashamed for their behavior that led up to this moment, if shame were in their capacity.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

There's been a lot of talk about "smoking guns" or "alarm bells" re: COVID origins. Well, for me, that feeling happened on page 98 of the WHO investigation report.

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

@JohnsHopkinsSPH

3 years

"There are lots of pieces to still fill in, but this report [from @MichaelWorobey and colleagues] ties a lot of the pieces together that say, 'There is a really credible story for an animal origin of SARS-CoV-2,'" says @JHSPH_CHS senior scholar @GGronvall .

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@ggronvall

1 year

The Strongest Evidence Yet That an Animal Started the Pandemic - The Atlantic

The Strongest Evidence Yet That an Animal Started the Pandemic

A new analysis of genetic samples from China appears to link the pandemic’s origin to raccoon dogs.

www.theatlantic.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

@j_g_allen What’s the big deal? My kid’s school is back to masks because of the high volume of positive tests. While community spread is high, it seems reasonable to take simple steps so that school is a safer place to be and so they can continue to enjoy the fun end of year activities.

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@ggronvall

3 years

My coauthor @Michelle_Rozo and I examined 3 possible origin explanations that led to a 1950's strain getting a second chance to spread around the world: a deliberate release, a vaccine trial or challenge, or a laboratory accident.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

We also show how explanations of the 1977 flu have changed: once GOF research became a policy concern, the 1977 origin was more often ascribed to a lab accident. But a vaccine trial involving tens of thousands of people gone awry... well, that isn't a lab accident.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Deliberate release origin: The flu was worse for young people including military recruits, who could be considered a potential target of a biological weapons attack. Over 9 days, 76% of the US Air Force Academy got sick, shutting it down temporarily.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

A great (and growing) thread containing multiple informative threads from @angie_rasmussen @PhilippMarkolin @janeqiuchina and others, pushing back against the recently repackaged garbage from the lab leak crowd. It's a shame this pushback is even necessary.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Scientists were reached for comment when the report dropped."Poppycock dressed up as 'science.'" said @K_G_Andersen "Nonsense" said @angie_rasmussen and many others. "

A Chinese virologist claimed the coronavirus was 'intentionally' released. Turns out, she works for...

A strange paper claims China engineered and released the coronavirus. Its authors work for a group once led by the former Trump strategist Steve Bannon.

www.businessinsider.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

This is a disgrace, @COVIDSelect . Lab leakers were hardly suppressed and furthermore, the evidence points away from that hypothesis. Can we not further suppress talking about illegal animal sales and One Health? Because the conditions that led to COVID-19 will happen again.

Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic

@COVIDSelect

11 months

"Proximal Origins" played a pivotal role in wrongly suppressing the lab leak hypothesis. Americans deserve to know why this happened, who was involved, and how we can prevent the suppression of scientific discourse during a future pandemic.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

We ( @LaneWarmbrod @rachelmwest @ndconnell ) have undertaken a scientific review of a pre-print by Yan et al. which presents a theory about the origin of SARS-CoV-2 but offers contradictory and inaccurate information that does not support their argument.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

In the 1970's (and 80's, and...), the Soviets employed tens of thousands to make biological weapons, but this wasn't yet known to the western world. They def didn't have the greatest safety record-- a couple years later in Sverdlovsk an anthrax accident killed at least 66 people.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

@elonmusk @pmarca Gain of function is an imprecise term for research to better understand how viruses transmit/cause damage. It is not a weapon. The last couple of years have demonstrated clearly how much we need to learn when it comes to viruses, and it is possible for us to learn, safely.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Someone on the fence about getting vaccinated just sent me a video of some MD spewing garbage about the CDC, ADE, made up risks-- I am pausing from screaming expletives to ask: 1. what are the consequences for MDs who actively cause harm & 2. why aren't there any?

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 months

Sharing an article on the future of US virology research w 78 authors, incl ⁦ @angie_rasmussen ⁩ ⁦ @GoodrumVirusLab ⁩ ⁦ @anice_lowen and me⁩. The ability to fight and prevent future pandemics is under threat. The U.S. will be left behind and…

Virology—the path forward | Journal of Virology

A systematic study of pathogens is the only way to assess the risks they pose and develop medical countermeasures to mitigate those threats. However, on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased...

journals.asm.org

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Misinformation, disinformation, and twisting known facts to suit a given narrative have been rampant when discussing the SARS-CoV-2 origin. In the piece, I describe examples, including of these tactics working-- but as they say, 2 wrongs (or 2000) don't make a right.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

In early days, LAIV often reverted to being infectious. Many 1977 H1N1 isolates were temperature sensitive, suggesting lab manipulation to make a vaccine. The Soviets and Chinese had done LAIV flu trials with tens of thousands of children, and even did challenge studies (!!).

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

This is such an honor for me, having long admired the important work the foundation has done to make improvements to int’l biosafety in Beth Griffin’s memory— looking forward to the ABSA conference and the lecture!

Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security

@JHSPH_CHS

3 years

Congrats to Sr Scholar @ggronvall on being named by @ABSAOffice as the recipient of this year's Griffin Lecture Award! The E. R. Griffin Lecture Series Award recognizes accomplishments that contribute to the awareness of biological +occupational safety.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Programs like the media fellowship at @aaas should be expanded. Scientists should be funded to counter this garbage. The people behind orgs pushing lies _should_ be ashamed but aren't. This problem isn't going away soon, we need more creative solutions.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Yan herself was funded and coached by Guo Wengui and Steve Bannon, appeared multiple times on Tucker Carlson Today, has more than 100K twitter followers... the whole sordid story is described here.

How Steve Bannon and a Chinese Billionaire Created a Right-Wing Coronavirus Media Sensation...

Increasingly allied, the American far right and members of the Chinese diaspora tapped into social media to give a Hong Kong researcher a vast audience for peddling unsubstantiated pandemic claims.

www.nytimes.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

However, flu vaccine manufacturing was more typically used as a _cover_ for biological weapons research. For example, Omutninsk Chemical Factory manufactured flu vaccine and crop production bacteria aboveground, while plague and tularemia worked on in underground facilities.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Governments and scientific institutions need to reduce and understand those risks. It is important to rein in the illegal wildlife trade, fully implement one health, and learn much more about bats... but it is also critical to address scientific misinformation and disinformation.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Also, C. M. Chu, former director of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences told Peter Palese, “the introduction of this 1977 virus [as] the result of vaccine trials in the Far East involving the challenge of several thousand military recruits with live H1N1 virus” (Yikes)

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

Measles killed 2.6 million every year before a vaccine became available in 1963. Still, in 2021, an estimated 128 000 died globally, mostly unvaccinated or under vaccinated kids under 5yo. Tragic that even one life is lost to a preventable disease.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Vaccine trial possibility: Two big factors support the 1977 flu being caused by a vaccine/challenge trial. 1. live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) research was big at the time and 2.a 1976 H1N1 swine flu outbreak was feared to have pandemic potential, and the 1977 flu was H1N1

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

I write about the challenge of scientists to counter misinformation (simply false) and disinformation (deliberately false) in my open-access article on the contested origin of SARS-CoV-2. Yan's disinformation campaign should inspire science orgs to act.

The Contested Origin of SARS-CoV-2

This article describes what is known about the origin of SARS-CoV-2, with implications for policy, biological research and public-health surveillance. Theories about the origin include a natural em...

www.tandfonline.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

10 months

@NateSilver538 Nate, have you actually read this paper? It's been a while, so I just took the time to reread it. It is careful, lays out available evidence, and states "More scientific data could swing the balance of evidence to favor one hypothesis over another."

The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

Nature Medicine - The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

www.nature.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

11 months

Everyone likes One Health in theory. In practice tho it is expensive and politically challenging to make create more buffers between animals and humans, and to better understand disease spillovers. It’s still necessary. Eventually people will have to come to terms with that.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

The smallpox virus stocks the US has from the global eradication effort are securely held in Atlanta, but still pose a security threat. The time has come to finally destroy them, as they pose no strategic, security, or scientific value. With @skirkell

Opinion: Destroy All Samples of the Smallpox Virus

With a global alarm ringing because of an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, we should also consider a different but closely related viral threat.

www.the-scientist.com

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

4 years

If you hear someone talk about herd immunity and it doesn't involve a vaccine, they are flat out wrong. (sigh)

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

3 years

Lab accident possibility: WHO interviewed flu virus researchers in USSR and China, but found that “the laboratories concerned either had never kept H1N1 virus or had not worked with it for a long time” Also outbreak was everywhere at once, with nearly identical isolates.

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

1 year

Really nicely done, @angie_rasmussen @SaskiaPopescu and appreciated this, especially: “This focus on labs overlooks the real and enduring biosecurity risk: cities where people and animals live in close contact.”

Dr. Angela Rasmussen

@angie_rasmussen

1 year

Despite a barrage of sensational media coverage suggesting the pandemic began as a lab leak, the evidence overwhelmingly supports zoonotic spillover. False claims that the 2 origin hypotheses are equally likely endanger us all, by me & @SaskiaPopescu

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Gigi Gronvall

@ggronvall

2 years

Many have jumped/stayed on the ‘lab leak’ train for a variety of disingenuous purposes, despite much more evidence of a market spillover. This great article by Jane Qui shows the true costs of that—which may last a generation.

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