BSL-4 lab of WIV correction

[lese123]

The address of WIV shown in the project is the main campus of WIV. Their BSL-4 lab is actually in Zhengdian Scientific Park of Zhengdian Subdistrict, Jiangxia District of Wuhan City, about 35 to 40 km away from the Huanan Seafood Market.

Source: http://lssf.cas.cn/en/facilities-view.jsp?id=ff8080814ff56599014ff59e677e003d

Here is a picture of the BSL-4 lab. Soure: https://chineseradioseattle.com/2020/02/16/wuhan_p4_lab/

And a satellite image from Google Earth.

The location of the lab shown on Google Earth is 30.22'35''N 114.15'45''E.

[research-project-cov]

here from WHO Recently constructed BSL-4 laboratories that are operational National High-level Biosafety Laboratory, China The National High-level Biosafety Laboratory, in Wuhan, represents one of China’s major investments in strengthening the public health system and biosafety management following the SARS outbreak. The building features 3000 m2 of BSL-4 space, including four independent laboratories areas and two animal suites, in addition to 20 BSL-2 and two BSL-3 laboratories. The Laboratory’s main objective is to work for the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases through diagnostic activities, as well as research and development in the areas of pathogenesis studies and antiviral drugs/vaccines. The Laboratory is the result of a 2004 memorandum of understanding between China and France, which collaboratively engaged in the design and commissioning of the project. Both French and Chinese companies validated the Laboratory, which was fully accredited by both countries as of December 2016 and certified to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. During the commissioning process, much investment was made in staff training. Researchers were trained in Australia, Canada, France and the United States of America and then in house before the Laboratory became operational. A validation system for training was then established to demonstrate staff competency for work or maintenance in the BSL-4 laboratory, establishing management systems and drafting of guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs). The BSL-4 laboratory could carry out projects on many diseases, would work as a national centre for research and development and aimed to become a WHO reference laboratory or collaborating centre. The BSL-4 laboratory was not currently operating at full capacity, as animal experimentation would commence only after significant hands-on experience with in vitro work, owing to increased risk. The Laboratory was intended to be a transparent public platform for China.

https://www.who.int/publications-detail/who-consultative-meeting-high-maximum-containment-(-biosafety-level-4)-laboratories-networking-venue

[research-project-cov]

the construction of P4 lab started in 2011 with chinese company IPPR; (not qualified at the time); it should have been a french company, but chinese wanted to do it by themselves; the media reported that a french company Technip rejected to certify the lab; this is incorrect; the official statement is Technip has never participated to the P4 project in Wuhan. Technip has been approach end of the 2000s to participate to the P4 laboratory project in Wuhan. But after very preliminary discussion, Technip has rapidly decided to decline to participate to this project.”

[research-project-cov]

the french architect was RTV; many problems occured; for instance, personnels used javel that corroded the pipes; (delayed the certifications); see article (in french) https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/sante-et-pharmacie/revelations-l-histoire-secrete-du-laboratoire-p4-de-wuhan-vendu-par-la-france-a-la-chine_707425

[research-project-cov]

one field of investigation: some people say the P4 lab has no incinerator for dead animals. is it true? (it is said they froze the animals, then dispose of them with an outside contracted incinerator.): this is to be checked

[research-project-cov]

another field of investigation for possible coronavirus leak is to look at the P2 end P3 lab in Wuhan; P4 was not yet certified for coronavirus; also, coronaviruses such as SRAS are studied in P3; the center of prevention near the market has one P2 and one P3. (the scientist Tian JunHa worked there) WIV near east lake has also a P3; Zhengdian subdisctrict (where the P4 is) has also a P3.

[nemonominem]

Actually from what have read in a few sources the 1,500 sars like virus were studied mostly at level 2, some at level 3. Now there is also the issue of the collection of these viruses, which is more like level 1 or none at all from the various articles and photos available.

See for instance: https://asiatimes.com/2020/04/wuhan-lab-virus-leak-no-longer-discounted-cobra/

American biosecurity expert Professor Richard Ebright, of Rutgers University’s Waksman Institute of Microbiology, New Jersey, said that while the evidence suggests Covid-19 was not created in one of the Wuhan labs, it could easily have escaped from there while it was being analyzed, the report said.

Prof Ebright said he has seen evidence that scientists at the Centre for Disease Control and the Institute of Virology studied the viruses with only “level 2” security — rather than the recommended level 4 – which “provides only minimal protection against infection of lab workers,” the report said.

Note that the US services are also working on the animal sold in wet-market theory.

Here is another quote by Elbright, who has been concerned with lab safety for a while: https://thebulletin.org/2020/03/experts-know-the-new-coronavirus-is-not-a-bioweapon-they-disagree-on-whether-it-could-have-leaked-from-a-research-lab/

. “Virus collection, culture, isolation, or animal infection at BSL-2 with a virus having the transmission characteristics of the outbreak virus would pose substantial risk of infection of a lab worker, and from the lab worker, the public,” Ebright says.

Also please note that even Level 4 is not foolproof, especially with insuficient training: https://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/29/science/i-beg-to-differ-in-a-lonely-stand-a-scientist-takes-on-national-security-dogma.html

But Dr. Ebright noted that the deadly SARS virus recently escaped from BSL-4 and BSL-3 labs in Taiwan, Singapore and Beijing, in each case setting off minor epidemics that killed or sickened people.

[mukeshp70]

Important notice issued by Health Commission of Wuhan on 2nd Jan 2020:

[mukeshp70]

Minister: Biosafety remains a challenge 2018-01-10 09:27:31 China Daily

China continues to face challenges in ensuring biosafety against invasive species brought into the country, the top quarantine official said on Tuesday.

In 2017, foreign harmful species were intercepted almost 950,000 times by border officials at ports nationwide, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The number of interceptions reached more than 1.2 million in 2016, a record high, and involved 6,305 kinds of species, official data show.

"We will step up efforts to ensure biosafety at the border, including improving safety inspections, strengthening the tracing of international plant and animal diseases and their analysis and management, and conducting continuous public education campaigns," Zhi Shuping, minister in charge of the administration, said at a work conference on Tuesday. Archived at: https://archive.is/ZQcHY

[mukeshp70]

Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory in Wuhan China......Biosafety is a concern since its inception in 2015..... China's first biosafety level-4 lab (BSL-4), established in Harbin, capital of the northeastern Heilongjiang Province, started operation after being accredited by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment.

The national animal disease control lab could boost the country's research on and prevention and control of highly infectious diseases. The lab can conduct animal testing on pathogens of all known major infectious diseases including infectious diseases, including Ebola, Marburg hemorrhagic fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza A(H5N1), Rift Valley fever, and Nipah and Hendra viral diseases. The lab also work with other research institutes on joint research of prevention and control of highly infectious diseases in a bid to safeguard the livestock industry and public health.

In addition, as the threat of terrorism increases globally, the risk for bio-terrorism is expected to increase as well. To prepare for biological threats, scientists must research dangerous pathogens to develop effective methods to prevent, diagnose, and treat the diseases caused by them.

China conducted numerous training programs for ensuring the safety of laboratory workers, operations, and the environment. However, Laboratories could not contain the leakages, which occurred time to time at various levels in China.

China intends to build 5–7 high-containment laboratories by 2025. BSL-4 laboratory worker training system is the starting point for developing national norms for high-containment laboratory training and preparing qualified, maximum bio-containment laboratory scientists and facility operations specialists. http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2018-08-08/detail-ifywwxaw2290306.shtml Archived at: https://archive.is/p3xBV https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/25/5/18-0220_article Archived at: https//archive.is/biVVx

U.S., Chinese scientists call for collaboration to ensure biosafety, biosecurity 2019-07-27 08:57:31 Xinhua U.S. and Chinese bioengineers and officials called for intensified collaboration by the two countries to mitigate growing biosafety and biosecurity risks at a symposium held in Washington D.C.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/2019-07-27/detail-ifzmnmiq8700720.shtml Archived at: https://archive.is/WSsWC

Better biosafety oversight planned after outbreak 2019-12-12 09:48:14 China Daily Health authorities in Gansu Province plan to strengthen oversight over biosafety at laboratories to guard against brucellosis following a fresh wave of infections that have affected nearly 100 personnel at a research institute in the province.

The latest outbreak, first reported on Dec. 2, occurred among personnel at the Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute in Lanzhou, the provincial capital.

According to data released, Gansu saw 155 new infections of brucellosis in November. Last year, the province reported more than 1,500 brucellosis infections. Nationwide, nearly 38,000 new cases were reported in 2018. http://www.ecns.cn/news/2019-12-12/detail-ifzrtayn1411296.shtml Archieved at: https://archive.is/wip/hruyv

[research-project-cov]

here all labs of Wuhan and the market; please complete if you have more information

[nemonominem]

Please note this September 2019 paper from Yuan Zhiming, Wuhan Institute of Virology, in the Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity: Current status and future challenges of high-level biosafety laboratories in China. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588933819300391#!

Yuan is quoted extensively on /project-evidence.github.io as saying that there was no way the the virus originated from the P4 lab. I would tend to believe him, but that certainly does not include the Wuhan CDC lab that was working at P2.

In September 2019 Yuan was listing a long series of issues with biosecurity in Chinese labs. His paper is very detailed and well worth a look, and certainly not as rosy as his later statements. Quotes: "due to different investment sources, affiliations, and management systems, the implementation of these laboratories faces difficulties converging objectives and cooperation workflows. This scenario puts laboratory biosafety at risk since the implementation efficiency and timely operations are relatively compromised."

"several high-level BSLs have insufficient operational funds for routine yet vital processes. Due to the limited resources, some BSL-3 laboratories run on extremely minimal operational costs or in some cases none at all."

"Currently, most laboratories lack specialized biosafety managers and engineers. In such facilities, some of the skilled staff is composed by part-time researchers. This makes it difficult to identify and mitigate potential safety hazards in facility and equipment operation early enough"

[mukeshp70]

Wuhan Virus Research Institute is fully committed to scientific research on new coronavirus pneumonia Official Declaration on 29.01.2020

Under the unified deployment of the National Health and Health Commission and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the guidance of relevant departments in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences resolutely implemented the Party Central Committee ’s decision, stepped up scientific research, fully supported and participated in the related prevention and control work Play the core supporting role of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory and the National Virus Resource Library built by our institute, focus on pathogen identification, virus tracing, pathogen detection, antiviral drugs and vaccines, and strive to provide important resources for first-line prevention and control treatment Reserve and technological support.

The Institute determined the complete genome sequence of the new coronavirus (hereinafter referred to as the 2019 new coronavirus) on January 2, 2020, and successfully isolated the virus strain on January 5. On January 9th, the virus resource has been included in the national virus resource library according to the standard, and has been standardized for deposit (deposit number: IVCAS 6.7512), which can be provided to the relevant institutions in accordance with the law and regulations. Provide important resource support for research, vaccine development, biomedical screening, etc. On January 11, Wuhan Virus Institute, as one of the designated agencies of the National Health and Health Commission, submitted the 2019 new coronavirus genome sequence information to the World Health Organization, which was published in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) To achieve global sharing.

The meeting officially announced the establishment of a research team led by Wuhan Virus, with Shi Zhengli as the team leader and 13 experts.......Since then Shi Zhengli started advocating bat coronavirus..........

On January 23, the Shi Zhengli team of the Wuhan Virus Institute published an article "Discovery of a novel coronavirus associated with the recent pneumonia outbreak in humans and" on the bioRxiv preprint platform. its potential bat origin "), proposed a new pneumonia virus or derived from bats. The article confirmed for the first time that the new coronavirus uses the same cell entry receptor (ACE2) as the SARS coronavirus, and found that the sequence correspondence between the new coronavirus and a bat coronavirus is as high as 96%, which is the subsequent virus pathogenic mechanism, Virus tracing and other studies provide an important basis. At the same time, Wuhan Virus Research Institute is actively carrying out anti-viral drug screening for new coronavirus infection, animal model establishment, vaccine research and development, etc.

In terms of animal models, the establishment of mouse and non-human primate models has been basically completed, which will provide key support for subsequent research.

http://www.whiov.ac.cn/xwdt_105286/zhxw/202001/t20200129_5494574.html

Archived at: http://archive.is/fjNNW