There Is No Good Way to Even Investigate the Lab Leak Theory

The theory that COVID-19 escaped from a lab has never been more popular. There are many questions about the degree to which it is plausible and which alleged evidence is more conspiratorial. Regardless of how likely you think the lab escape theory is, however, there’s something most pundits miss. That is: What should we be asking for—as a matter of policy and politics—even if it is a lab escape?

Truth is, it’s rare that proponents of the lab escape theory really have a plan. As biosecurity experts, we’re interested in the answer to the...