What is China doing with the scientist who arbitrarily revealed the spread of Covid-19 to the world?

The first Chinese scientist to publish the genome sequence of the Covid-19 virus in defiance of government orders has staged a sit-in after claiming he was kicked out of his lab over the weekend. Zhang had been sitting outside the lab since Sunday. Photos posted online show a man, who is said to be Zhang, lying on the ground, Reuters reports.

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Virologist Zhang Yongzheng revealed that he and his team were sent a sudden notification about eviction from the lab and was denied entry by security guards over the weekend. The post, posted on Weibo, was later deleted, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

After extensive media and social media coverage, Zhang said Wednesday that he and his team had been “provisionally” allowed to resume work at the lab.

Zhang published his scientific findings on Covid-19 without government approval in January 2020. Since then, he and his team have gone through a series of setbacks, demotions and firings, the latest of which appears to be eviction from circles.

The Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center said in a statement that Zhang’s lab was closed for “security reasons” and renovations. It said Zhang’s team was given an alternative lab space.

The move shows how the Chinese government continues to pressure and control scientists in an effort to avoid scrutiny of its handling of the coronavirus outbreak.

After sequencing the virus on January 5, 2020, Zhang and his team initially sent a notification to the Chinese authorities warning of the possibility of the virus spreading. The next day, his lab was temporarily shut down by China’s top health official.

Foreign scientists urged Zhang and other Chinese scientists to allow the sequence to be published. The following week, Zhang issued his order without authorization, allowing global health authorities to begin testing for Covid-19 after it was found to be spreading outside of China. It also initiated the development of tests, vaccinations and other pandemic measures.

Internationally, Zhang was lauded with awards in recognition of his work, but domestically he came under pressure. He was barred from working with some former research partners and removed from his position at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

During the pandemic, the government also arrested journalists who tried to report on the impact of the outbreak on people and hospitals.

In 2021, Zhang for the newspaper New York Times said that he did not regret his actions. “I trusted myself. I have so much experience, my team has made so many discoveries over the years that we were able to make accurate judgments,” he said.

Zhang’s team appeared to receive a lot of public support on Weibo, where related hashtags were viewed by tens of millions of Chinese. “How can a country develop if we treat scientific researchers like this?” one said.

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