Question O’ The Day

Was it “innocent” gain-of-function research, or was it intentional bioweapon work? And was the leak accidental, or deliberate?

Bear in mind that secret military programs often have nested cover stories, where when one is penetrated, it leads to a new one.
[and how well I know that technique]

Natural germ in “wet market” –> lab leak –> deliberate release?
Who knows?
That last may be impossible to determine, unless a Chinese defector spills the beans or something. One way to address this in the future is to ban gain-of-function research, so that if it happens you know it’s illicit. Too late for that in this case, of course, since U.S. taxpayers, through the NIH, were actually funding this research.