Wuhan Lab Director Had Safety Concerns Before the Pandemic

A worker is seen inside the P4 laboratory in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 23, 2017. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

The director of Wuhan’s P-4 laboratory at the center of intense speculation over its role in causing the pandemic had previously raised concern about security in China’s high-level bio labs.

Just months before the outbreak, Yuan Zhiming, director of the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, published an article on safety deficiencies occurring in Chinese biolabs. Several years ago, he also sent emails to an American counterpart inquiring about disinfecting methods.