Indeed, he mentioned "weaponized virus" on the article, I had forgotten that particular bit.

It's been a long 16 months, mistakes happen, maybe I'm running a little low on empathy today too.

That too was and still is legitimate speculation. Josh Rogin of the Washington Post has written about this previously (https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/03/08/josh-rogin...):

> A little-noticed study was released in early July 2020 by a group of Chinese researchers in Beijing, including several affiliated with the Academy of Military Medical Science. These scientists said they had created a new model for studying SARS-CoV-2 by creating mice with human-like lung characteristics by using the CRISPR gene-editing technology to give the mice lung cells with the human ACE2 receptor — the cell receptor that allowed coronaviruses to so easily infect human lungs.

The fact remains that this type of speculation about bioweapons should never have been banned. Doing so granted the CCP a huge relief from accountability and transparency, one we may never be able to correct for with all the time that has passed.