SA, what I’ve been hearing for quite some time from people close to or who follow the scientific community is that the sciences have their own “establishment” most of whom seem quite prejudiced against the lab leak hypothesis, and quite a few more junior practitioners have been getting quite frustrated with their closing of ranks.
Surely you won’t defend Daszak declaring no competing interest in that Lancet letter? That was a very silly move on his part; I can’t imagine why he did it.