Clearly, COVID-19 pandemic — and many other global pandemics that we have — have come from gain-of-function research. The RSV epidemic that we have that is the biggest killer of kids in this country today came from these kind of experiments. The Lyme disease almost certainly came from this kind of research.
- Speaker
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Statement date
- 2 August 2026
Reviewed material
The claim in context
View the original source of the claim
CNN’s State of the Union, interview with Dana Bash. Kennedy made the statement while discussing whether gain-of-function research should be prohibited or regulated more strictly. CNN’s transcript places the exchange shortly after 9:05 a.m. ET.
Mostly false
High confidenceAI-assessed confidence, not a measured probability. What this means
The statement is mostly false. Available evidence does not establish that COVID-19, RSV, or Lyme disease arose from gain-of-function experiments, and it substantially misstates RSV mortality among U.S. children. The origin of COVID-19 remains unresolved, so that part is better characterized as unsupported rather than definitively disproven.
- The evidence does not definitively resolve the origin of SARS-CoV-2, so a research-associated scenario cannot be categorically excluded; however, the available evidence does not substantiate the claim that COVID-19 clearly came from gain-of-function research.
- The phrase “many other global pandemics” is too vague to evaluate conclusively without specific examples or a defined timeframe.
- This report evaluates the quoted statement as provided and does not independently authenticate the supplied transcript.
What we checked
Claims
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01
The COVID-19 pandemic clearly came from gain-of-function research.
The WHO’s 2025 assessment said the weight of available evidence suggests zoonotic spillover, while noting that all hypotheses, including a research-associated origin, remain open because relevant information is missing. It did not conclude that COVID-19 came from gain-of-function research. NIH describes gain-of-function research as a category of studies posing potential biosafety risks, not as evidence of SARS-CoV-2’s origin.
Mostly False [6][8] -
02
Many other global pandemics have come from gain-of-function research.
The claim provides no examples, definition of “many,” or timeframe. The available source describes gain-of-function research as a potential biosafety and biosecurity risk but does not establish that many global pandemics resulted from it.
Unverifiable [8] -
03
RSV is the biggest killer of children in the United States today.
CDC identifies RSV as the leading cause of infant hospitalization, not the leading cause of death among children. CDC estimates approximately 100–300 RSV-associated deaths annually among U.S. children younger than five, while CDC child-mortality data list accidents, congenital abnormalities, and cancer among leading causes of death for children ages 1–4.
False [3][9][7] -
04
The RSV epidemic came from gain-of-function experiments.
CDC describes RSV as a seasonal respiratory virus transmitted through infected people, direct contact, and contaminated surfaces, with nearly all children infected before age two. The cited evidence does not support a gain-of-function origin for RSV.
Unverifiable [5][2] -
05
Lyme disease almost certainly came from gain-of-function research.
CDC documents a natural transmission cycle in which Lyme bacteria circulate between wildlife hosts and blacklegged ticks before infecting people. Genomic research found that Borrelia burgdorferi diversity is ancient and geographically widespread, predating the recent human Lyme disease epidemic and the last glacial maximum, which contradicts a recent laboratory-created origin.
False [4][1]
What the record shows
Key facts
- Supports the claim
- Contradicts the claim
- Adds context
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The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens reported that the weight of available evidence suggests zoonotic spillover for SARS-CoV-2, while retaining other hypotheses because important data were unavailable.
[6] -
NIH defines relevant gain-of-function studies as research that may enhance the pathogenicity or transmissibility of potential pandemic pathogens and discusses them primarily as biosafety and biosecurity risks.
[8] -
CDC child-mortality data list accidents, congenital abnormalities, and cancer among leading causes of death for children ages 1–4.
[7] -
CDC reports that RSV spreads through respiratory droplets, direct contact, and contaminated surfaces, and that nearly all children experience RSV infection before age two.
[5] -
CDC reports that Lyme disease bacteria are acquired by ticks from infected wildlife hosts and transmitted to people by blacklegged ticks.
[4] -
A genomic study found that Borrelia burgdorferi diversity is ancient and geographically widespread, predating the recent Lyme disease epidemic and the last glacial maximum.
[1]
Evidence trail
Sources
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pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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who.int
who.int · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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osp.od.nih.gov
osp.od.nih.gov · Accessed
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cdc.gov
cdc.gov · Accessed
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