China has an ongoing problem with ensuring safety while handling dangerous biological pathogens in laboratories, The Washington Post reports.
Multiple investigations headed by scientists from the U.S. and other countries have found widespread vulnerabilities that could result in serious lab accidents, such as an incident in 2019 when airborne microbes from a biomedical complex in north-central China leaked into the local atmosphere and were exposed to thousands of people.
Robert Hawley, a biosecurity expert who directed safety programs at the maximum-containment lab maintained by the U.S. Army at Fort Derrick, Maryland, told the Post that inspection reports reveal "imprudent" practices that left him dismayed.
"It is very, very apparent that their biological safety training is minimal," he said.
The newspaper reviewed reports and official statements that were translated by congressional researchers, officials at the State Department, and independent investigators, "that point to systemic failures in implementing safety standards necessary to prevent a spillover of dangerous bacteria and viruses."
Hawley noted that running a lab requires more than capable researchers, "it's also about the people who run the systems. You can't cut corners. And you can't glean the knowledge that's required in a two-week course and then expect that people will be able to fly solo. It doesn't happen that way."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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