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Comment by Stanley Perlman

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Professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa focused on coronaviruses
I think the points you make are very well taken. I think a lot of those comments were made at a time when the world was a little different. We talked about the 2020 Lancet paper, and that did have a big impact, but it was at a time when the world was really divided into those who thought this was all man-made versus a natural origin, and now everything's become more nuanced, and I think it's very appropriate to be more nuanced. [...] So, remember the statement that I said just a few minutes ago, the statement was based on the notion that this was constructed from scratch, so that was really what the letter was about. I don't think it was defined well enough in that letter. But that's what the discussion was. It wasn't about [...] all these other possibilities.
AI Verified (Jul 14, 2021)
Source:
Stanley Perlman, testimony in "Principles for Outbreak Investigation: COVID-19 and Future Infectious Diseases," House Science Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight hearing, July 14, 2021.
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Policy proposals and claims
COVID-19 originated from a lab-related incident rather than natural zoonotic spillover
votes Against
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Statement relation comments

AI Verified Relevant: the quote is directly about the COVID-19 origins dispute and clarifies that Perlman's earlier condemnation was aimed at claims the virus was "constructed from scratch," not at every lab-related possibility. In the same hearing, he also distinguishes natural spillover from laboratory release and says the lab-release possibility cannot be ruled out, so this quote contributes to a determinable nuanced stance on the complete statement rather than being merely adjacent. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-117hhrg44965/html/CHRG-117hhrg44965.htm)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 2h ago
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Vote answer comments

AI Verified The quote softens his earlier stance and says the 2020 letter was aimed at claims the virus was "constructed from scratch," not at every lab-related possibility. In the source context, though, Perlman says a "naturally derived virus not manipulated in the laboratory" is the "most likely source of SARS-CoV-2," points to evidence consistent with infected wildlife at the Wuhan market, and says a lab release only "cannot be ruled out" and should be investigated, so he most likely leans against the statement rather than endorsing it. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-117hhrg44965/html/CHRG-117hhrg44965.htm)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 2h ago

Quote authenticity verification history

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Quote authenticity comments

AI Verified Verified: the GovInfo transcript for the House Science Subcommittee hearing held on July 14, 2021 lists Dr. Stanley Perlman as a witness, and it contains the quoted remarks in two Perlman answers—first to Rep. Gonzalez ("I think the points you make are very well taken ... everything's become more nuanced ...") and later to Rep. Waltz ("the statement was based on the notion that this was constructed from scratch ... It wasn't about ... all these other possibilities"). The submitter’s ellipses accurately omit intervening transcript text rather than changing the wording, so the quote is authentic, verbatim as excerpted, correctly attributed, and correctly dated. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-117hhrg44965/html/CHRG-117hhrg44965.htm)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 2h ago
replying to Stanley Perlman