A 2020 research paper intended to throw cold water on the “lab leak” theory of COVID-19 origins is facing mounting demands for retraction after newly unveiled messages revealed primary researchers felt compelled to write it despite their belief in the likelihood of the theory.
Nature Medicine published the Anthony Fauci-commissioned “Proximal Origins” paper in March 2020 asserting that COVID-19 originated from human contact with a bat.
The paper has recently come under scrutiny, with a petition by Biosafety Now garnering nearly 1,500 signatories, including scientists, pushing for its retraction; prominent data journalist Nate Silver and University of Colorado professor Roger Pielke Jr. have also voiced their support for retraction.