The problems date back to May 2018, when storms flooded and ruined a decades-old steam sterilization plant that the institute had been using to treat wastewater from its labs, Ms. Vander Linden said. The damage halted research for months, until the institute developed a new decontamination system using chemicals.

The new system required changes in certain procedures in the laboratories. During an inspection in June, the C.D.C. found that the new procedures were not being followed consistently. Inspectors also found mechanical problems with the chemical-based decontamination system, as well as leaks

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Yeah that and the "vaping lung disease" that showed up (and was especially prevalent around ft detrick!) and then disappeared, plus the frequent anecdotes of people who were seriously fucking sick in 2019, is why I've believed the ft Detrick lab leak theory since i first heard it.

It's the most likely source imo. Like I really think it's a lot more likely for one of the most virulent diseases ever discovered to have leaked out of a biolab which literally studied coronaviruses than for it to have just appeared out of nowhere. And wow, here's a lab that worked on those where it could have just leaked in the wastewater for literally a year straight

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

did you read Russia's claims regarding US labs doing biological weapons testing in Ukraine?