WHO has created its own Pathogen Access system, with a high containment lab and “a fast and reliable system for sharing pathogens that could cause epidemics or pandemics” & is thumbing its nose at us
In case you don’t understand the ramifications, I underlined them in a powerpoint:
What does this mean?
The WHO has created its own PPP Library (Potential Pandemic Pathogen) — going around its member states, and instead signing agreements with Switzerland and a Swiss laboratory in Spiez. The press info above, from June 13, 2024, reveals that right after the World Health Assembly refused to pass the Pandemic Treaty and its Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) system by June 1, 2024, when its last annual meeting ended, the WHO went around its members’ backs and signed its own agreement, expanding an earlier agreement with Switzerland and the Spiez lab.
Furthermore, the website linked above had revealed that the lending library contains many specimens of SARS-CoV-2 and Monkeypox, and will soon be adding more deadly pathogens to its maximum containment facility. This must refer to a BSL-4.
Yesterday I saw a WHO website with lists of SARS and MPOX specimens for sharing at Spiez, but today I can no longer find it and suspect it went dark.
WHO’s website started to answer my search query to get more details about this lab (you could see some answers pop up but they were covered by blue highlight and disappeared when I lifted the cursor). Then the search function surprisingly said it had no relevant material on Spiez. I tried several queries but could never get the articles back that I briefly saw listed. So I went to Google Gemini 2.5, which has been useful. It said, in italics:
- Pathogens Handled: The pilot phase of the BioHub system initially focused on SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.The facility in Spiez currently houses variants of SARS-CoV-2 and mpox specimens and is preparing to include other pathogens in its maximum containment area.
Maximum Containment Capabilities
The Spiez Laboratory possesses a biocontainment laboratory capable of handling human pathogens of hazard categories 3 and 4. These correspond to Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) and Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4), respectively.
- Uniqueness in Switzerland: The biocontainment lab in Spiez is specifically noted as the only laboratory in Switzerland that allows for the safe handling and cultivation of human pathogens belonging to the highest hazard categories, including risk group 4 agents.
- BSL-4 Capacity: The facility has operational BSL-4 units which are licensed for activities such as the development of methods to detect and analyze viral pathogens of high risk, as well as diagnostic purposes for detecting viruses in clinical samples.
- Safety Measures: The laboratory employs rigorous safety protocols and infrastructure, including decreasing air pressure systems to prevent the escape of contaminated air, the use of protective suits with independent air supplies, and the super-heating of waste to inactivate pathogens. The laboratory has a history of no accidental leaks.
Role and Recognition
The Spiez Laboratory is the Swiss institute for the protection of the population against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats and dangers. It is part of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports.
- International Recognition: Beyond its role as a WHO BioHub, the Spiez Laboratory is an internationally recognized center of excellence. It collaborates with various international organizations, including the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and is one of the few labs worldwide permanently certified by the OPCW.
In summary, references to the WHO maximum containment lab in Spiez, Switzerland, primarily highlight its function as the foundational WHO BioHub Facility, its BSL-4 containment capabilities, and its integral role in facilitating the international sharing of dangerous pathogens for pandemic preparedness and research.