Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Push For 9/11-Style Covid Investigation Commission
With more than 600,000 Americans dead of COVID-19 and questions still raging about the origin of the virus and the government’s response, a push is underway on Capitol Hill and beyond for a full-blown investigation of the crisis by a national commission like the one that looked into 9/11. It is unclear whether such a probe will ever happen, though a privately sponsored team of public health experts is already laying the groundwork for one. (Reeves and Kunzelman, 6/17)
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that the U.S. would not be issuing "threats or ultimatums"Â to China as it seeks access for an investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union," host Dana Bash pressed Sullivan on what actions the U.S. would take to pressure China to help facilitate an investigation, noting that Sullivan had once said the U.S. wouldn't take China's inaction lying down. Sullivan stated that the U.S.'s approach was on "two tracks." (Choi, 6/20)
Speculation about origin abounds as the lab-leak theory puts a spotlight on virological research. (Achenbach, 6/20)
Talk of ‘gain-of-function’ research, a muddy category at best, brings up deep questions about how scientists should study viruses and other pathogens. (Zimmer and Gorman, 6/20)
