A former top Chinese government scientist has said that Covid lab leak theory should not be ruled out, as he again tried to revive the debate over the origins of the virus.

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In an interview for BBC Radio 4,&nbsp;Prof George Gao, who was the head of China's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), said that when the lab leak theory gained prominence at that time, the Chinese government conducted a formal inquiry into the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

"The government organised something," he was quoted as saying, in the first such official acknowledgement that the lab leak possibility was viewed seriously by the government, despite repeatedly refuting such claims. As a former head of China's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Gao has played a key role in the pandemic response and efforts to trace its origins.

He, however, clarified that it did not involve his own department, the China CDC.

“You can always suspect anything. That's science. Don't rule out anything.”

Gao said that though he has not seen the result, he has "heard" that the lab was given a clean bill of health.

"I think their conclusion is that they are following all the protocols. They haven't found [any] wrongdoing."

<h2>Gravitas: Wuhan Virus wave grips China, again</h2>

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Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market and the adjoining hospitals were the focus of the probe for a potential explanation for the virus during the early phase of the pandemic.

The World Health Organization, in its preliminary investigation, said it was “extremely unlikely” the virus leaked from a lab.

Demands for a second phase of the investigation, involving audits of laboratories in the Wuhan area, were rejected by the Chinese government.

<h2 dir="ltr">Covid origin debates still unresolved&nbsp;</h2>

It has been widely established that Covid virus emanated from bats, but how it got transmitted to humans has so far remained a mystery.

One theory argues that the virus spread naturally from bats to humans, most likely through other animals. Many scientists believe that there is reasonable evidence to suggest this scenario.&nbsp;

The other theory, which the West propounds, is that there is enough evidence to suggest that the virus was engineered as part of research and that someone involved in it was first infected. It was further claimed that the Huanan Seafood Market was connected to many of the early cases, people who worked or shopped there.

The comments from the top Chinese scientist corroborate the FBI’s assessment that the virus most likely originated in a Chinese government-controlled lab.

"The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident," FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News in March.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A former top Chinese government scientist has said that Covid lab leak theory should not be ruled out, as he again tried to revive the debate over the origins of the virus.

A former top Chinese government scientist has said that Covid lab leak theory should not be ruled out, as he again tried to revive the debate over the origins of the virus. In an interview for BBC Radio 4, Prof George Gao, who was the head of China's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), said that when the lab leak theory gained prominence at that time, the Chinese government conducted a formal inquiry into the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). "The government organised something," he was quoted as saying, in the first such official acknowledgement that the lab leak possibility was viewed seriously by the government, despite repeatedly refuting such claims. As a former head of China's Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Gao has played a key role in the pandemic response and efforts to trace its origins. He, however, clarified that it did not involve his own department, the China CDC. “You can always suspect anything. That's science. Don't rule out anything.” Gao said that though he has not seen the result, he has "heard" that the lab was given a clean bill of health. "I think their conclusion is that they are following all the protocols. They haven't found [any] wrongdoing." Gravitas: Wuhan Virus wave grips China, again Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market and the adjoining hospitals were the focus of the probe for a potential explanation for the virus during the early phase of the pandemic. The World Health Organization, in its preliminary investigation, said it was “extremely unlikely” the virus leaked from a lab. Demands for a second phase of the investigation, involving audits of laboratories in the Wuhan area, were rejected by the Chinese government. Covid origin debates still unresolved It has been widely established that Covid virus emanated from bats, but how it got transmitted to humans has so far remained a mystery. One theory argues that the virus spread naturally from bats to humans, most likely through other animals. Many scientists believe that there is reasonable evidence to suggest this scenario. The other theory, which the West propounds, is that there is enough evidence to suggest that the virus was engineered as part of research and that someone involved in it was first infected. It was further claimed that the Huanan Seafood Market was connected to many of the early cases, people who worked or shopped there. The comments from the top Chinese scientist corroborate the FBI’s assessment that the virus most likely originated in a Chinese government-controlled lab. "The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident," FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News in March. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Top Chinese scientist says don't rule out Covid lab leak theory

The World Health Organization (WHO) three years ago on 11 March 2020 declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. However, its origins still remain unknown, even though many reports claim it is China's Wuhan province from where the virus originated.&nbsp;

Marking three years into the COVID 'pandemic', WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that discovering the origins of COVID-19 is a moral imperative. In a tweet on Saturday, Tedros asserted that all hypotheses around the virs must be explored to help prevent future outbreaks.&nbsp;

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Over 3 years into the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID19</a> emergency, too many lives have been lost. Too many people are still suffering, including from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LongCOVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LongCOVID</a>. We'll never stop demanding equitable access to life-saving tools.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1634697707439751169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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"Understanding #COVID19’s origins and exploring all hypotheses remains:-a scientific imperative, to help us prevent future outbreaks-a moral imperative, for the sake of the millions of people who died and those who live with #LongCOVID," Tedros wrote.&nbsp;

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A WHO-led team concluded in 2021 that the virus had likely been spread from bats to humans via another animal, though more investigation was required. But China claims that no more visits are required.

Since then, the WHO has established a scientific advisory group on dangerous pathogens, but it hasn't made any determinations about how the pandemic started since it claims that important pieces of information are lacking.

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A US Energy Department report earlier said that the COVID pandemic was most likely brought on by an unintentional Chinese laboratory leak. This increased pressure on the WHO to provide an explanation. However, the department deemed its level of confidence in its assessment as “low,” people who read the report told the WSJ news portal.

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However, Beijing has refuted the report completely and said that the "origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 is about science and should not be politicised."&nbsp;

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The World Health Organization (WHO) three years ago on 11 March 2020 declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. However, its origins still remain unknown, even though many reports claim it is China's Wuhan province from where the virus originated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) three years ago on 11 March 2020 declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. However, its origins still remain unknown, even though many reports claim it is China's Wuhan province from where the virus originated. Marking three years into the COVID 'pandemic', WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that discovering the origins of COVID-19 is a moral imperative. In a tweet on Saturday, Tedros asserted that all hypotheses around the virs must be explored to help prevent future outbreaks. Over 3 years into the #COVID19 emergency, too many lives have been lost. Too many people are still suffering, including from #LongCOVID. We'll never stop demanding equitable access to life-saving tools. — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 11, 2023 × "Understanding #COVID19’s origins and exploring all hypotheses remains:-a scientific imperative, to help us prevent future outbreaks-a moral imperative, for the sake of the millions of people who died and those who live with #LongCOVID," Tedros wrote. Also Read | Murder suspect gives the slip to security officials, escapes US courtroom A WHO-led team concluded in 2021 that the virus had likely been spread from bats to humans via another animal, though more investigation was required. But China claims that no more visits are required. Since then, the WHO has established a scientific advisory group on dangerous pathogens, but it hasn't made any determinations about how the pandemic started since it claims that important pieces of information are lacking. Also Read | 'Trump was wrong': Mike Pence criticises former Prez for 'endangering' his family A US Energy Department report earlier said that the COVID pandemic was most likely brought on by an unintentional Chinese laboratory leak. This increased pressure on the WHO to provide an explanation. However, the department deemed its level of confidence in its assessment as “low,” people who read the report told the WSJ news portal. Watch | Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit U.S. in June; engagement with India to counter China However, Beijing has refuted the report completely and said that the "origins-tracing of SARS-CoV-2 is about science and should not be politicised." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

3 years on since COVID 'pandemic', WHO chief says finding origins a 'moral imperative'

The U.S. Energy Department has concluded that COVID-19 most likely emerged from a Chinese research lab leak. The origin story has gone from "conspiracy theory" to a government debate. Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Wuhan Lab Leak theory resurfaces

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms - A classified and updated document presented to the U.S. lawmakers and White House has claimed that the Covid-19 virus emerged from a lab leak.

Trending on WION: U.S. energy department's report claims Covid-19 was likely a result of lab leak

While publicly the World Health Organisation (WHO) maintains that ‘all hypotheses remain on the table’ about the origins of Covid, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO had recently confided to a senior European politician that the most likely explanation was a catastrophic accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, where infections first spread during late 2019, as reported by Daily Mail.

In his opening remark at the Member State Information Session on COVID-19 and other issues, Tedros said, “ It has now been two-and-a-half years since we first identified cases of this novel coronavirus. We do not yet have the answers as to where it came from or how it entered the human population.”

A team of 27 experts was set up by the WHO last year to produce a new global framework for studies into emerging pathogens with the potential of sparking epidemics or pandemics.

In its first preliminary report, the so-called Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) stressed that it had no conclusive findings on the origins of the virus behind the worst global pandemic in a century.

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It has been tasked with providing an independent assessment on a way forward in the thorny investigation into the origins of the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 disease.&nbsp;

"There are key pieces of data that are not yet available for a complete understanding of how the Covid-19 pandemic began," they acknowledged in their report, stressing that a range of further studies were needed "to follow up on several gaps in our knowledge".

“All hypotheses must remain on the table until we have evidence that enables us to rule certain hypotheses in or out. The only way this scientific work can progress successfully is with full collaboration from all countries, including China, where the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 were reported,” Tedros added.

(with inputs from agencies)

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While publicly the World Health Organisation (WHO) maintains that ‘all hypotheses remain on the table’ about the origins of Covid, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO had recently confided to a senior European politician that the most likely explanation was a catastrophic accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, where infections first spread during late 2019, as reported by Daily Mail.

While publicly the World Health Organisation (WHO) maintains that ‘all hypotheses remain on the table’ about the origins of Covid, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO had recently confided to a senior European politician that the most likely explanation was a catastrophic accident at a laboratory in Wuhan, where infections first spread during late 2019, as reported by Daily Mail. In his opening remark at the Member State Information Session on COVID-19 and other issues, Tedros said, “ It has now been two-and-a-half years since we first identified cases of this novel coronavirus. We do not yet have the answers as to where it came from or how it entered the human population.” A team of 27 experts was set up by the WHO last year to produce a new global framework for studies into emerging pathogens with the potential of sparking epidemics or pandemics. In its first preliminary report, the so-called Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) stressed that it had no conclusive findings on the origins of the virus behind the worst global pandemic in a century. Also Read: Crypto crash: Bitcoin last down 7.4 per cent at $18,915 It has been tasked with providing an independent assessment on a way forward in the thorny investigation into the origins of the SARS CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 disease. "There are key pieces of data that are not yet available for a complete understanding of how the Covid-19 pandemic began," they acknowledged in their report, stressing that a range of further studies were needed "to follow up on several gaps in our knowledge". “All hypotheses must remain on the table until we have evidence that enables us to rule certain hypotheses in or out. The only way this scientific work can progress successfully is with full collaboration from all countries, including China, where the first cases of SARS-CoV-2 were reported,” Tedros added. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

WHO chief Tedros confides Wuhan lab leak theory most likely explanation for Covid: Report

After US President Joe Biden ordered an investigation into the origin of the deadly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, fearing a connection with China, UK scientists, too, have lent support to the ‘lab leak’ theory.

Several UK scientists believe there is a possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-seeks-phase-2-of-investigation-into-covid-origins-387628">WATCH |</a>

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The scientists believe the virus was man-made in a Wuhan lab and later there were several attempts of "deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data" to manipulate the world into thinking that the virus has been naturally developed, local newspapers claim.

These reports have come a few days after Biden had "asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required including specific questions on China".

However, China has dismissed all these claims as their foreign minister accused the western countries of using the coronavirus pandemic to pursue "stigmatisation, political manipulation and blame shifting".

"The US keeps talking about wanting&nbsp;China&nbsp;to participate in a full, transparent, scientific evidence-based international investigation. Then we ask the US to follow China's example and immediately start science-based cooperation with the WHO," China's foreign ministry said.

After US President Joe Biden ordered an investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus, fearing a connection with China, UK scientists, too, have lent support to the ‘lab leak’ theory.

After US President Joe Biden ordered an investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus, fearing a connection with China, UK scientists, too, have lent support to the ‘lab leak’ theory. Several UK scientists believe there is a possibility that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. WATCH | The scientists believe the virus was man-made in a Wuhan lab and later there were several attempts of "deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data" to manipulate the world into thinking that the virus has been naturally developed, local newspapers claim. These reports have come a few days after Biden had "asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required including specific questions on China". However, China has dismissed all these claims as their foreign minister accused the western countries of using the coronavirus pandemic to pursue "stigmatisation, political manipulation and blame shifting". "The US keeps talking about wanting China to participate in a full, transparent, scientific evidence-based international investigation. Then we ask the US to follow China's example and immediately start science-based cooperation with the WHO," China's foreign ministry said.

UK scientists support covid 'lab leak' theory: Reports

In light of the ongoing investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus, social media giant <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook</a> has decided to lift the ban on posts that claim COVID-19 was man-made and/or a result of a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-lab-leak-row-us-intelligence-has-a-notorious-track-record-says-china-387784">"lab leak".</a>

"Following consultations with leading health organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), we are expanding the list of false claims we will remove to include additional debunked claims about the coronavirus and vaccines," Facebook said in a&nbsp; statement.

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This comes months after Facebook had started to block and ban the posts that claimed COVID-19 was made-made or manufactured in a lab. Such posts were being restricted or removed, and not complying with the guidelines was leading to a complete ban of the erring accounts from the platform itself. Facebook claims this step was earlier aimed at "removing more false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines".

However, things seem to be changing now due to the ongoing investigation into the origins of coronavirus now.

This has come after a US-based newspaper, Wall Street Journal, published an investigative story that claimed the US intelligence believes there is a possibility that this virus was created due to a "lab leak" in China’s Wuhan.

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The newspaper claims in November 2019, three people from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment for flu-like symptoms.

While it has not yet been concluded whether or not coronavirus was a lab leak, Facebook is making sure it fights misinformation against the disease, without imposing a ban on irrelevant information.

Facebook has now tightened its rules against sharing and spreading misinformation related to coronavirus, elections, and more.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/facebook-allow-posts-suggesting-covid-19-lab-origin-as-us-probes-virus-origin-387906">WATCH |</a>

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"Whether it's false or misleading content about COVID-19 and vaccines, climate change, elections or other topics, we're making sure fewer people see misinformation on our apps," Facebook said in the statement.

The social media giant has also come up with a way of warning people against following any page that actively indulges in spreading fake news.

Facebook will, now, give a pop-up notice with a warning of the page's sharing history, for the pages that actively share false information.

In light of the ongoing investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus, social media giant Facebook has decided to lift the ban on posts that claim COVID-19 was man-made and/or a result of a "lab leak".

In light of the ongoing investigation into the origin of the deadly coronavirus, social media giant Facebook has decided to lift the ban on posts that claim COVID-19 was man-made and/or a result of a "lab leak". "Following consultations with leading health organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), we are expanding the list of false claims we will remove to include additional debunked claims about the coronavirus and vaccines," Facebook said in a statement. Also read | Optional feature to hide likes on Instagram, Facebook is coming sooner than you think This comes months after Facebook had started to block and ban the posts that claimed COVID-19 was made-made or manufactured in a lab. Such posts were being restricted or removed, and not complying with the guidelines was leading to a complete ban of the erring accounts from the platform itself. Facebook claims this step was earlier aimed at "removing more false claims about COVID-19 and vaccines". However, things seem to be changing now due to the ongoing investigation into the origins of coronavirus now. This has come after a US-based newspaper, Wall Street Journal, published an investigative story that claimed the US intelligence believes there is a possibility that this virus was created due to a "lab leak" in China’s Wuhan. Also read | US lawmakers urge Facebook to drop plans for Instagram for kids The newspaper claims in November 2019, three people from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment for flu-like symptoms. While it has not yet been concluded whether or not coronavirus was a lab leak, Facebook is making sure it fights misinformation against the disease, without imposing a ban on irrelevant information. Facebook has now tightened its rules against sharing and spreading misinformation related to coronavirus, elections, and more. WATCH | "Whether it's false or misleading content about COVID-19 and vaccines, climate change, elections or other topics, we're making sure fewer people see misinformation on our apps," Facebook said in the statement. The social media giant has also come up with a way of warning people against following any page that actively indulges in spreading fake news. Facebook will, now, give a pop-up notice with a warning of the page's sharing history, for the pages that actively share false information.

Facebook lifts ban on 'lab leak' posts as US investigates origin of coronavirus

The coronavirus lab leak theory has been&nbsp;gaining more traction, with circumstantial evidence growing about the Wuhan lab.&nbsp;

The outskirts of China could have a link to the Wuhan lab.

According to a report, in April 2012, six miners had fallen ill.&nbsp;They had gone inside a mine in China's Yunnan province and when they came out, they had a pneumonia-like illness and three of them died of the illness.

Watch:

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There is no clarity about the affliction since at that point, their illness was described as mysterious and to solve the mystery, scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were called in.

They conducted their research, took samples from bats in the mine in Yunnan and apparently identified several new coronaviruses in those samples.

But China doesn't want to tell the world about which coronaviruses were found in the Yunnan mine?

Not only has China hidden information, but it has also obstructed the independent investigation. Reports say China has blocked efforts to probe the mine and set up checkpoints near the mine.

Unidentified men have stopped several foreign journalists in recent weeks from trying to go there. While the specifics are not clear, the Wuhan lab is said to have more than a thousand samples of coronaviruses.

There is increasing evidence that the Wuhan lab is linked to the outbreak. Which is why more and more experts say that the lab leak hypothesis must be investigated.

The health secretary of the United States has also called for a second investigation into the origins.

"Phase 2 of the Covid origins study must be launched with terms of reference that are transparent, science-based, and give international experts the independence to fully assess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak," US health secretary Xavier Becerra said.&nbsp;

"As member states of the WHO, we need to come together and finish this fight against Covid - our greatest test. We need to fully implement and adhere to obligations under international health regulations. We need to improve transparency, immediately share critical information about outbreaks with pandemic potential, and strengthen health systems to withstand shocks," Becerra added.

There are more connections that need to be explored. For instance, the data that China has about the virus. China has refused to share raw data. The gap is so glaring that even Dr Tedros of the WHO has raised it.

Last year, the WHO director-general was applauding China's response but since March, he has been saying that he's not satisfied with what Beijing has shared and demanded more evidence.

While briefing member states of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros said scientists need access to full data to understand what happened in the early days.

Specifically, they need data, including biological samples from at least September 2019. But when Dr Tedros spoke with investigators who went to Wuhan, he was told that they faced difficulties in accessing this data and their report was made without access to the crucial data.

It is the reason why Dr Tedros refused to dismiss the lab theory. He said the assessment by the WHO team wasn't extensive enough.

Therefore, the claims around a lab leak remain limited to circumstantial evidence. And yet, scientists around the world continue to demand another investigation.

They want to further probe the possibility of a lab leak. This month, 18 prominent scientists published a letter calling for a new investigation and they have given reasons why.&nbsp;These scientists believe that the theories both of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover "remain viable".

The letter has been signed by a virologist who had closely worked with Shi Zhengli, who is a top Chinese virologist better known as China's batwoman.

Shi Zhengli was leading the research into bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab. Now, one of her colleagues has signed a letter demanding a probe into the lab theory.

A former chief of America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also called for another probe. Scott Gottlieb believes that the circumstantial evidence so far is credible and there is no new evidence in favour of a natural origin.

He said scientists are yet to find an intermediate host and they haven't found the Wuhan virus in an animal anywhere besides bats.

There are more questions than answers right now, but there is enough evidence for the world to not dismiss the lab leak theory.

A new investigation could help in settling the doubts but China is already pushing back on this demand.&nbsp;

The only way to find the answers is to keep asking the question: Is China hiding something about the Wuhan lab?

The coronavirus lab leak theory has been gaining more traction, with circumstantial evidence growing about the Wuhan lab. The outskirts of China could have a link to the Wuhan lab.

The coronavirus lab leak theory has been gaining more traction, with circumstantial evidence growing about the Wuhan lab. The outskirts of China could have a link to the Wuhan lab. According to a report, in April 2012, six miners had fallen ill. They had gone inside a mine in China's Yunnan province and when they came out, they had a pneumonia-like illness and three of them died of the illness. Watch: There is no clarity about the affliction since at that point, their illness was described as mysterious and to solve the mystery, scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were called in. They conducted their research, took samples from bats in the mine in Yunnan and apparently identified several new coronaviruses in those samples. But China doesn't want to tell the world about which coronaviruses were found in the Yunnan mine? Not only has China hidden information, but it has also obstructed the independent investigation. Reports say China has blocked efforts to probe the mine and set up checkpoints near the mine. Unidentified men have stopped several foreign journalists in recent weeks from trying to go there. While the specifics are not clear, the Wuhan lab is said to have more than a thousand samples of coronaviruses. There is increasing evidence that the Wuhan lab is linked to the outbreak. Which is why more and more experts say that the lab leak hypothesis must be investigated. The health secretary of the United States has also called for a second investigation into the origins. "Phase 2 of the Covid origins study must be launched with terms of reference that are transparent, science-based, and give international experts the independence to fully assess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak," US health secretary Xavier Becerra said. "As member states of the WHO, we need to come together and finish this fight against Covid - our greatest test. We need to fully implement and adhere to obligations under international health regulations. We need to improve transparency, immediately share critical information about outbreaks with pandemic potential, and strengthen health systems to withstand shocks," Becerra added. There are more connections that need to be explored. For instance, the data that China has about the virus. China has refused to share raw data. The gap is so glaring that even Dr Tedros of the WHO has raised it. Last year, the WHO director-general was applauding China's response but since March, he has been saying that he's not satisfied with what Beijing has shared and demanded more evidence. While briefing member states of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros said scientists need access to full data to understand what happened in the early days. Specifically, they need data, including biological samples from at least September 2019. But when Dr Tedros spoke with investigators who went to Wuhan, he was told that they faced difficulties in accessing this data and their report was made without access to the crucial data. It is the reason why Dr Tedros refused to dismiss the lab theory. He said the assessment by the WHO team wasn't extensive enough. Therefore, the claims around a lab leak remain limited to circumstantial evidence. And yet, scientists around the world continue to demand another investigation. They want to further probe the possibility of a lab leak. This month, 18 prominent scientists published a letter calling for a new investigation and they have given reasons why. These scientists believe that the theories both of accidental release from a lab and zoonotic spillover "remain viable". The letter has been signed by a virologist who had closely worked with Shi Zhengli, who is a top Chinese virologist better known as China's batwoman. Shi Zhengli was leading the research into bat coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab. Now, one of her colleagues has signed a letter demanding a probe into the lab theory. A former chief of America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also called for another probe. Scott Gottlieb believes that the circumstantial evidence so far is credible and there is no new evidence in favour of a natural origin. He said scientists are yet to find an intermediate host and they haven't found the Wuhan virus in an animal anywhere besides bats. There are more questions than answers right now, but there is enough evidence for the world to not dismiss the lab leak theory. A new investigation could help in settling the doubts but China is already pushing back on this demand. The only way to find the answers is to keep asking the question: Is China hiding something about the Wuhan lab?

Wuhan virus lab leak theory: Why China has blocked access to Yunnan mine

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