We Want Them Infected Podcast The Politics of COVID Origins with Dr. Philipp Markolin PhD
In this episode of We Want Them Infected, Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent unpack the shocking CDC shooting in Atlanta, which many are calling “public health’s January 6th.” They trace how years of anti-science rhetoric from figures like RFK Jr., Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad have fueled violent consequences.
They also welcome their first guest, Dr. Philipp Markolin PhD, author of Lab Leak Fever. Dr. Markolin shares his global reporting on COVID’s origins, dismantles the so-called “lab leak” hypothesis, and explains how disinformation has been weaponized for politics and power. From epidemiological evidence at the Wuhan market to the ghost DNA of raccoon dogs, he outlines why science overwhelmingly supports a zoonotic origin.
This episode tackles misinformation, political corruption, and the dangerous future of science under attack—while honoring the tragic loss of a young officer in the CDC shooting.
Resources Mentioned- Dr. Phillipp Markolin: Lab Leak Fever → https://www.lab-leak-fever.com/about
- STAT News article: “The CDC Shooting Was Public Health’s January 6th” by Colin Carlson & Sean Kennedy
- STAT News article: “Kennedy’s Case Against mRNA Vaccines Collapses Under His Own Evidence” by Dr. Jake Scott
- LA Times: Coverage of COVID resurgence in the Southwest, fall 2025
- MedPage Today: “The Executive Order That Could Cripple Science” by Adam Brown
- Science-Based Medicine: Analysis of Jay Bhattacharya and NIH policy shifts
- Audrey Tang (Taiwan’s Cyber Minister) – discussed as a model for democratic info ecosystems
Dr. Philipp Markolin, PhD is a Switzerland-based science writer and author of Lab Leak Fever, a definitive investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Trained in molecular biology and machine learning, Dr. Markolin spent more than a decade in academia before transitioning to science communication during the pandemic.
He has written extensively on the intersection of science, conspiracy theories, and society, and has interviewed leading virologists, field researchers, and policymakers around the world. His reporting has taken him into wildlife markets and labs, where he traced the evidence that overwhelmingly supports a zoonotic origin for COVID-19.
Dr. Markolin also co-produced a documentary film exploring the pandemic’s origins and the scientists at the center of the controversy. He writes the blog Protagonist Science and speaks globally on the dangers of misinformation and the urgent need to protect scientific integrity.
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