In light of COVID-19's origins likely stemming from safety issues at an infectious disease research lab, the U.S. House of Representatives announced a new hearing will take place April 27 as part of further investigations into it.
The hearing — known as "Biosafety and Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety" — was called to also ensure that pathogen research in the U.S. is conducted as safely as possible.
The April 27 hearing will focus on follow-up information from a February meeting where witnesses detailed "obstacles to determining the root cause of infectious disease outbreaks and biological incidents," according to the news release.
"Our Committee's ongoing work has ignited heightened concerns about how we conduct and fund risky research and whether current biosafety measures are still sufficient to mitigate risks," Reps. Morgan Griffith and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who chair committees that oversee the initiative, said in a joint statement. "This hearing will provide members and the public an opportunity to better understand specific risks involved with gain-of-function research on potential pandemic pathogens, current biosafety practices at high-containment laboratories, and will help better inform upcoming policymaking decisions."
Becker's will continue to follow this coverage and report on new information from the April 27 hearing once it is available.