Shanghai: Chinese scientist Zhang Yongzhen, renowned for releasing the coronavirus genome, is staging a protest after being ousted from his lab in Shanghai.
Zhang’s sit-in protest comes as he finds himself locked out of his laboratory. Despite authorities offering an alternative space, Zhang insists the new facility lacks crucial safety features essential for his research. Notably, the offer for the new lab only emerged after Zhang initiated his protest.
Since divulging the genome of SARS-CoV-2 in January 2020, Zhang has faced repeated harassment from Chinese authorities, despite a gag order. Critics accuse China of withholding critical information during the early stages of the Covid-19 outbreak, impeding global pandemic response efforts.
‘I won’t quit, won’t leave’: Yongzhen’s Sit-In Protest Continues
Refusing to budge, Zhang remains camped outside his sealed lab, defying eviction orders, as reported by the Associated Press.
Over the weekend, guards prevented Zhang from accessing his workspace. Images captured at the scene depict Zhang sitting on flattened cardboard amidst the rain, determined to persist in his protest.
“I won’t leave. I won’t quit. I am pursuing science and the truth! The Public Health Center are refusing to let me and my students go inside the laboratory office to take shelter,” Zhang stated in a now-deleted post on Chinese social media platform Weibo, as per AP.
The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center maintains that Zhang’s lab closure is part of a safety-driven renovation. However, the ban on Zhang marks the latest in a string of setbacks he has faced since his groundbreaking genome publication in 2020.
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Unveiling the Genome: Zhang’s Stand Against Chinese Authorities
In January 2020, Zhang and his team achieved a milestone by mapping the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2.
Receiving the virus sample on January 3, 2020, Zhang and his team swiftly completed genome mapping by January 5. Despite Chinese authorities imposing a publication embargo until July 12, Zhang shared the findings with the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI) GenBank database.
Amidst a backdrop of Chinese officials discouraging information release about the Wuhan outbreak, Zhang personally visited Wuhan. There, he briefed officials on the virus’s SARS-like characteristics and respiratory transmission mode.
Zhang also shared the viral genome with Edward Holmes of the University of Sydney’s Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity. Holmes sought Zhang’s approval to release the genome, which Zhang granted on January 11.
The genome’s unofficial release on January 11, contrary to Chinese directives, offered crucial insights into the virus’s characteristics. Despite these revelations, acknowledgment of respiratory transmission didn’t surface until January 20, delaying vital public health measures.
Zhang’s actions shed light on China’s initial handling of Covid-19 data and its repercussions, highlighting the importance of transparent and timely information dissemination during public health crises.
