An unregulated laboratory in California, run by a Chinese company, has been found to be conducting dangerous experiments involving COVID-19 and other viruses.
The lab was discovered to house hundreds of genetically modified mice, designed to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus. This discovery raises serious concerns about the potential for lab-related incidents that could lead to widespread infections in the community.
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, chaired by Dr. Brad Wenstrup from Ohio, highlighted the risks associated with such laboratories.
He pointed out even a minor error, such as accidentally tearing a protective glove, could lead to a leak from the lab. This is particularly concerning, given the lab’s poor safety protocols and subpar conditions.
🚨🚨‼️Feds Raid Chinese Bio Lab Discovered in California! Covid strains along with HIV and others diseases being experimented on mice. pic.twitter.com/T6zYLfrBeU
— SerenityJan 🇨🇦🇷🇺 (@JanisAwake) October 16, 2023
The lab was found to contain hundreds of vials of infectious viruses and bacteria, many of which were stored improperly in malfunctioning freezers. Among these were samples of malaria, strains of the herpes virus, the bacterium that causes meningitis, chlamydia, Covid-19, and HIV.
The unsafe conditions in the lab raise the risk of pathogens settling on the packaging used for COVID-19 and pregnancy tests that were being stored in the warehouse, potentially putting customers at risk of infection.
The lab was initially run by Universal Meditech Inc., a company with strong ties to China, which had been making unlicensed COVID and pregnancy tests sold in Texas and California.
After the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered a recall of its products citing lack of approval, the company went bankrupt. It was then taken over by one of its creditors, Prestige Biotech, which continued the operations.
The discovery of this illegal lab is particularly alarming in light of suggestions that COVID-19 may have escaped from a lab in China.
Many experts believe the COVID pandemic got sparked by a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China, which was known to experiment on coronaviruses. This incident underscores the need for stringent regulation and oversight of laboratories studying infectious pathogens.
this wine pairs perfectly with the Chinese bioweapons lab found in California https://t.co/HcUuh4wIC3
— 3DotsOneDash (@3DotsOneDash) October 12, 2023
The lab’s existence also raises questions about the lack of regulatory oversight and the ease with which such a facility could operate undetected.
Local residents expressed their concerns online, questioning how the authorities were unaware of the lab’s operations. One resident stated, “How is it that they didn’t know? So any business comes in and pays and that’s it, no follow-up, really?”
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers posed by unregulated laboratories. It underscores the urgent need for stricter regulations and more rigorous oversight to ensure biosafety is maintained at all times in laboratories studying infectious pathogens.
The health and safety of our communities depend on it. This incident should serve as a wake-up call for policymakers and regulators.
