Coronavirus: NIH admits to US funding of gain-of-function research in Wuhan lab

New Delhi

In a stunning admission, USA's National Institute of Health has accepted that US-funded money was used for bat coronavirus gain-of-function research in a lab in Wuhan.

Gain of function refers to a genetically altering animal viruses to make them more transmissible in humans.

A top NIH official has admitted to US funding in a letter written to Congressman James Comer. Lawrence A. Tabak, principal deputy director of the NIH however, has insisted that bat viruses studied under NIH grant could not have become Covid-19.

The admission of funding to gain-of-function research from the NIH is contradictory to stand taken by Dr Anthony Fauci, USA's top disease expert, who has firmly denied such a thing.

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Tabak, in his letter, has blamed EcoHealth Alliance — the New York City-based nonprofit which funneled US money to Wuhan lab. Tabak says that the nonprofit was not transparent about what it was doing.

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Dr Anthony Fauci's denials about gain-of-function research has often put him at odds with American politicians. Republican senator Rand Paul is one of them.

Paul took to Twitter when the NIH letter surfaced. 

“I told you so” doesn’t even begin to cover it here" he tweeted

Lawrence Tabak, NIH principal deputy director, said in his letter that EcoHelath Alliance did not comply with the terms of the grant that was given to it.