What’s the Story
A group of World Health Organization investigators, composed of experts in veterinary medicine, virology, food safety and epidemiology, recently visited Wuhan Institute of Virology, to look for information on the origins of Covid-19.
The controversial Chinese labs, which is a research institute on virology, was developed during the height of the SARS epidemic in 2003 to conduct studies and experiments about bat coronaviruses .
This has led scientists to conclude that these labs may allegedly have been the source of a “leak” of some deadly pathogens like the Covid-19.
News Coverage
WHO team visits Wuhan virus lab at center of speculation
One of China’s top virus research labs, the Wuhan Institute of Virology built an archive of genetic information about bat coronaviruses after the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
AP News reports that one of China’s top virus research labs, the Wuhan Institute of Virology built an archive of genetic information about bat coronaviruses after the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. That has led to unproven allegations that it may have a link to the original outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan in late 2019.
China has strongly denied that possibility and has promoted also unproven theories that the virus may have originated elsewhere or even been brought into the country from overseas with imports of frozen seafood tainted with the virus, a notion roundly rejected by international scientists and agencies.
The institute’s deputy director is Shi Zhengli, a virologist who tracked down the origins of SARS that originated in China and led to the 2003 outbreak. She has published widely in academic journalists and worked to debunk theories espoused by the former Trump administration and other American officials that the virus is either a bioweapon or a “lab leak” from the institute.
