You wear space suit , operations closed cabinets , accept everything take twice long.So rules assigning kind virus given safety level laxer might think prudent.Before 2020 , rules followed virologists China elsewhere required experiments SARS1 MERS viruses conducted BSL3 conditions.But bat coronaviruses could studied BSL2 , next level down.BSL2 requires taking fairly minimal safety precautions , wearing lab coats gloves , sucking liquids pipette , putting biohazard warning signs.Yet gain-of-function experiment conducted BSL2 might produce agent infectious either SARS1 MERS.And , lab workers would stand high chance infection , especially unvaccinated.Much Shi ’ work gain-of-function coronaviruses performed BSL2 safety level , stated publications documents.She said interview Science magazine “ [ ] coronavirus research laboratory conducted BSL-2 BSL-3 laboratories. ” “ It clear work performed using biosafety standard — biosafety level 2 , biosafety level standard US dentist ’ office — would pose unacceptably high risk infection laboratory staff upon contact virus transmission properties SARS-CoV-2 , ” Ebright says .