Lancet letter condemns lab-origin 'conspiracy theories'

Twenty-seven scientists condemned 'conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin' and declared 'no competing interests.' Later disclosures (FOIA'd emails, USRTK) showed the letter was organized by Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, which funded coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The letter anchored a year of media framing of lab-leak discussion as debunked; defenders say it reflected the genuine scientific mainstream view at the time, citing early genomic analyses as its basis.