The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab.

The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China was staging a sit-in protest after authorities locked him out of his lab.

Virologist Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post Monday that he and his team had been suddenly notified they were being evicted from their lab, the latest in a series of setbacks, demotions and ousters since Zhang published the sequence in January 2020 without state approval. The move shows how the Chinese state continues to pressure and control scientists conducting research on the coronavirus.

  • Flying Squid
    54•7 months ago

    Wow. How many more people might have died if that brave man hadn’t published it without approval?

    And now if another pandemic starts in China, how many scientists will be willing to do the work to sequence it?

    I get that the world’s leadership just doesn’t care if people die in general, but viruses don’t care how rich or powerful you are, so this just just fucking stupid.