---
type: Conversation
title: Private channel session 1621
description: "slack conversation, 13 messages, 2021-09-29."
tags:
  - conversation
  - slack
medium: slack
message_count: 13
started_at: "2021-09-29T04:31:51"
ended_at: "2021-09-29T05:09:36"
duration_seconds: 2265
sources:
  - { id: slack_pm, resource: /sources/slack-pm.md, title: Slack / Private Message Drop, author: "process:senate-hsgac-release" }
generated: { by: randpaul-corpus-pipeline/1.0, at: "2026-08-01T12:42:27Z" }
status: stable
---

A slack conversation of 13 messages spanning 0h 37m.

# Metadata

- **Started:** 2021-09-29T04:31:51
- **Ended:** 2021-09-29T05:09:36
- **Duration:** 0h 37m
- **Participants:** 3
- **Source:** [slack_pm](/sources/slack-pm.md)
- **Pages:** 1008-1010

# Participants

* [Andrew Rambaut](/people/andrew-rambaut.md)
* [Edward C. Holmes](/people/edward-c-holmes.md)
* [Kristian G. Andersen](/people/kristian-g-andersen.md)
* [Robert F. Garry](/people/robert-f-garry.md)

# Transcript

**[2021-09-29T04:31:51] Robert F. Garry:** My understanding is it's spending per year so not cumulative - just increases- let''s see what Sanjay says.

**[2021-09-29T04:36:33] Robert F. Garry:** >> Over 2019 the number of procurement contracts for the test is required for COVID-19 - the PCR test -- suggests the virus was highly likely to be spreading virulently in Wuhan, China as early as the summer of 2019. >> The total spent on PCR test systems in Hubei province increased from 2015 to 2018, but a dramatic increase was witnessed in 2019: 10.1M Yuan (2015); 19.1M Yuan (2016); 29.1M Yuan (2017); 36.7M Yuan (2018); and 67.4M Yuan (2019). The total 2019 contract value is higher than the sum of the previous two years. >> These are the Chinese groups that made the significant and abnormal purchases of PCR equipment in 2019: Wuhan by the People's Liberation Army Airborne Army Hospital…

**[2021-09-29T04:47:03] Andrew Rambaut:** You definitely don't use PCR for anything but COVID

**[2021-09-29T04:47:10] Robert F. Garry:** The whole thing is rather fishy though. What does "procurement contracts for the test" mean?

**[2021-09-29T04:50:47] Andrew Rambaut:** By the way - your graph has the y axis in Yaun x 10-6 which isn't really that much money :wink:

**[2021-09-29T04:51:33] Andrew Rambaut:** Anyway - you said before that this was for equipment? I think Sanjay or whoever misunderstands that a 'PCR test' isbasically reagents.

**[2021-09-29T04:52:35] Andrew Rambaut:** The 2019 figure is basically $1M

**[2021-09-29T04:56:41] Andrew Rambaut:** If you were setting up a big genomic surveillance lab you could spend that much on machines quite easily

**[2021-09-29T04:58:06] Andrew Rambaut:** The UK spent £22B on setting up the COVID testing system.

**[2021-09-29T04:59:13] Andrew Rambaut:** Obviously if there was any documentary evidence they were ordering PCR primers for SARS-like coronavirus that would be a game changer

**[2021-09-29T05:03:28] Edward C. Holmes:** It would be, although the idea that no one said a single word about this on public and social media until December perhaps argues against. I'm sure this is in no way related to the fact that Wuhan held a number of major events in2019 inc. the World Military Games, and might perhaps have wanted testing systems in place for the outbreaks that often follow mass gatherings.

**[2021-09-29T05:05:12] Robert F. Garry:** Also well documented that the Hubei Province Districts Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (May-Dec 2019)was moving into new building near the Huanan market in 2019 - they probably got themselves some new PCRmachines then. The WIV also something of a work in progress so there are reasons that there amy have beenbumps in equipment purchases then.

**[2021-09-29T05:09:36] Andrew Rambaut:** And the fact the spending was going up by 10M a year in the previous years.