Proposed Trump Order Seeks to Stop Gain-of-Function Virus Research Linked to Covid-19 by Republicans

Trump Order Seeks to Stop Virus Research Linked to Covid-19 by Republicans An executive order is in the works that would halt U.S. funding for research that makes viruses that are more virulent or contagious. Liz Essley Whyte, Nidhi Subbaraman The Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is preparing an executive order that would halt federal funding, at least temporarily, for a risky and controversial kind of research into viruses that makes the pathogens more dangerous or contagious.

The goal of the order would be to stop scientists with U.S. funding from conducting “gain-of-function” research on viruses that could endanger human health, people familiar with the plans said.

Some viruses, such as the H5N1 bird-flu pathogen, might be exempt from the order, one of the people said.

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