Evidence and Echoes: Facing the Origin of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract:

This case covers the controversy over the origin of the COVID-19 virus, a highly toxic debate that lasted over half a decade. In early 2020, there was substantial scientific uncertainty about whether the virus originated in the wild or had been manmade in a lab. Reasonable debate among scientists rapidly morphed into a single dominant narrative favoring the natural origin position. Proponents of the lab origin position were heavily criticized. It later became widely acknowledged that a lab origin was in fact quite possible; although by the time of the writing of this case, the true origin remained unknown. This case tracks the evolution of this issue for the purpose of understanding why it took on such toxic force and the consequences for civil discourse, trust in institutions, and public health. Students are invited to learn from this experience to inform decision making, leadership and communication in a turbulent and polarized world.