A team of World Health Organisation (WHO) experts who are investigating the origin of Coronavirus in China have arrived Wuhan virology lab. Experts believe that the Wuhan virology institute might possibly be the one source of the deadly outbreak of COVID-19 infection.

News Alert: WHO experts arrive at Wuhan virology institute to investigates virus origin in China

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus identified as the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, has been consistently described as “novel” because of its unique structural features.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus identified as the causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, has been consistently described as “novel” because of its unique structural features. Also since the onset of the pandemic, the conventional wisdom concerning the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has been that it was a naturally-occurring outbreak, acquired by humans after exposure to infected animals, a conclusion aggressively promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, supported by some Western scientists and endlessly regurgitated by the left-leaning global media. That narrative is not only unproven, but much of the scientific data being used to buttress it are faulty, perhaps even fabricated. China has claimed that a bat coronavirus named RaTG13 is the closest relative to SARS-CoV-2 and upon which the global search for the natural origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has been largely based. According to China’s narrative, in 2013, Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman,” and her team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were asked to investigate the virus profile of a mine shaft in Yunnan Province after six miners contracted pneumonia with symptoms similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), although it was subsequently shown to have been a fungus infection. After sampling the mine shaft for a year, the researchers identified a diverse group of bat coronaviruses from bat fecal samples, one of which was designated RaBtCoV/4991 (GenBank KP876546) and partially sequenced. Despite being unique enough to be considered a new strain and associated with a human SARS-like outbreak as a Potential Pandemic Pathogen, thereafter, RaBtCoV/4991, de facto, disappeared from the scientific literature. That is, until 2020. In the February 3, 2020 Nature article, scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zheng-Li Shi, stated that the coronavirus RaTG13, known previously as RaBtCoV/4991, showed a 96.2% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2 and, therefore, “RaTG13 is the closest relative” forming a distinct lineage from other coronaviruses and supporting China’s claim that SARS-CoV-2 is naturally-occurring. As a result, the conventional wisdom that the COVID-19 was a naturally-occurring outbreak arose, nearly all of it based on a single scientific publication, one of whose authors had earlier received a medal from the Chinese government in January, 2020. Unfortunately, RaTG13 is not actually a virus because no biological samples exist, but a sequence of a virus for which there are now serious questions about its accuracy, based on the collection methods and sequence gaps, identified in an August 8, 2020 study, and RaTG13's structure in comparison to SARS-CoV-2, published already on March 15, 2020. As Dr. Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist and whistleblower, implies in a detailed interview, RaTG13 may have been used to divert the world’s attention away from the true source of the COVID-19 pandemic, a novel coronavirus that originated in military laboratories overseen by China's People’s Liberation Army. SARS-CoV-2 has two unique features contained in the S1 section of the spike glycoprotein: (1) a receptor-binding domain (RBD), which appears “pre-adapted” for human infection, but is structurally similar to the RBD of pangolins (scaly anteaters) and (2) a furin polybasic cleavage site (amino acid sequence proline-arginine-arginine-alanine or PRRA), a distinctive feature that facilitates membrane fusion between the virus and the human cell and widely known for its ability to enhance pathogenicity and transmissibility, but not present in any closely related bat or pangolin coronaviruses. A scientific study published on July 1, 2020 states that, while SARS-CoV-2 sequences share the greatest overall genetic similarity with bat coronaviruses, it is not the case for the RBD, which is “nearly identical” to that of two pangolin coronaviruses. Those authors suggest that a cross-species recombination event between bat and pangolin coronaviruses had occurred. Yet, there is no evidence supporting a natural viral recombination between bat and pangolin coronaviruses resulting in such an outcome. When asked about that possibility of pangolins being the SARS-CoV-2 host, Dr. Ralph Baric, a coronavirus expert from the University of North Carolina, in a March 15, 2020 interview, stated that pangolins could not be the source: “Pangolins have over 3,000 nucleotide changes - no way they are the reservoir species [for SARS-CoV-2], absolutely no chance.” A scientific article published on August 5, 2020, “COVID-19: Time to exonerate the pangolin from the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to humans,” totally dismisses the notion that pangolins could have acted as a natural intermediate host for a human infection. Given the overwhelming scientific evidence, the only recombination event possible for the appearance of a pangolin-like RBD in SARS-CoV-2 would be one occurring artificially in a laboratory. Much has been made in the media about a newly reported bat coronavirus, RmYN02, also found in Yunnan Province by China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, which shares 93.3% nucleotide identity with SARS-CoV-2. RmYN02 also has a proline-alanine-alanine (PAA) sequence, which has been used as evidence that the unique PRRA sequence found in SARS-CoCV-2 could have evolved naturally. What is not highlighted is that the RBD of RmYN02 showed only a 61.3% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2, meaning that RmYN02 could not bind to human cells. In addition, the probably out-of-alignment amino acid sequence PAA is chemically neutral, totally unlike SARS-CoV-2’s polybasic PRRA cleavage site, giving PAA no ability to cleave anything. What can be linked to SARS-CoV-2’s PRRA furin polybasic cleavage site is the extensive research being conducted on such cleavage sites and their pathological effects on humans by the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China, examples found here and here. The science is unequivocal. As hard as China and the other proponents of the naturally-occurring narrative have tried, SARS-CoV-2 has features that cannot be explained by a natural evolutionary process. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

China stands accused of manufacturing the COVID-19 virus

China has released the first pictures of its virus factory -- the Wuhan Virology lab. What are Beijing's reasons behind releasing the pictures six months after the pandemic has killed 5 lakh people? WION's Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Wuhan virology lab | Inside China's virus factory

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting. The death toll is more than 1,01,100.

Following America is Brazil with more&nbsp;than 7 lakh 7000 cases and over 37,000 deaths.

Russia is at number three with more than 4 lakh 84,000 cases followed by the UK with over 2 lakh 88,000 cases and &nbsp;40,000 deaths. India remains on the fifth spot. More than 2 lakh 68,000 cases. Out of this, 1 lakh 29,000 are active cases. 1 lakh 29,000 people have recovered There have been more than 7,400 deaths.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a study claims virus first appeared in August 2019 contrary to earlier report of December 2019. This is a study by the Harvard Medical School. It is based on the hypothesis that the coronavirus was circulating in the community prior to being identified. Researchers say this hypothesis is backed by the fact that at least 14 of the first identified cases had no direct link to wet markets.

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In addition, the virological samples of wildlife at these markets could not be linked to the coronavirus. Now to further prove their claims, the researchers used two methods. First, they looked at high-resolution satellite images taken between 2018 and 2020. These were images of 6 speciality hospital parking lots in Wuhan. The researchers say these images show an increase in traffic outside five of these hospitals between august and December.

They also obtained daily data for symptom-related online searches. They focused on search volumes of two terms --cough and diarrhoea.

The traffic spike in august apparently coincided with a rise in online searches for information regarding these symptoms. Meaning, an inordinately high number of people were searching for these terms. Which leads to the conclusion that they, or someone they knew, was suffering from these things.

China has dismissed this report. It&nbsp;called it ridiculous. The rest of the world is reporting it.

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting.

More than 71 lakh infections. More than 4 lakh deaths. This is what the virus from Wuhan has done to the world. Here are the latest numbers. The US still leads in coronavirus cases with more than 19 lakh 61,000 and counting. The death toll is more than 1,01,100. Following America is Brazil with more than 7 lakh 7000 cases and over 37,000 deaths. Russia is at number three with more than 4 lakh 84,000 cases followed by the UK with over 2 lakh 88,000 cases and 40,000 deaths. India remains on the fifth spot. More than 2 lakh 68,000 cases. Out of this, 1 lakh 29,000 are active cases. 1 lakh 29,000 people have recovered There have been more than 7,400 deaths. Meanwhile, a study claims virus first appeared in August 2019 contrary to earlier report of December 2019. This is a study by the Harvard Medical School. It is based on the hypothesis that the coronavirus was circulating in the community prior to being identified. Researchers say this hypothesis is backed by the fact that at least 14 of the first identified cases had no direct link to wet markets. In addition, the virological samples of wildlife at these markets could not be linked to the coronavirus. Now to further prove their claims, the researchers used two methods. First, they looked at high-resolution satellite images taken between 2018 and 2020. These were images of 6 speciality hospital parking lots in Wuhan. The researchers say these images show an increase in traffic outside five of these hospitals between august and December. They also obtained daily data for symptom-related online searches. They focused on search volumes of two terms --cough and diarrhoea. The traffic spike in august apparently coincided with a rise in online searches for information regarding these symptoms. Meaning, an inordinately high number of people were searching for these terms. Which leads to the conclusion that they, or someone they knew, was suffering from these things. China has dismissed this report. It called it ridiculous. The rest of the world is reporting it.

Harvard Medical School research says spread of virus started in August

When China went through the worst phase during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-china-in-medical-arms-race-over-coronavirus-vaccine-299503">coronavirus</a> outbreak, President Xi Jinping had gone into hiding.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-always-transparent-about-coronavirus-says-president-xi-during-world-health-assembly-video-conference-299439">Also Read:&nbsp;China always transparent about coronavirus, says President Xi</a>

The Chinese president was silent for four months, now when the world is battling the coronavirus epidemic, Xi Jinping is being served as a "savior". China is now trying to spin a new narrative around its coronavirus response.

The decision making body of the WHO - the World Health Assembly kicked off a two-day event today, however, for the Chinese president, it was a three-part act designed to repair the damage to China's reputation.

President Xi was on a video conference during the World Health Assembly which is an annual affair with health ministers from member states attending&nbsp;the meeting. This time it is different since&nbsp;the coronavirus epidemic has become a global pandemic.&nbsp;

Usually, the 194 member states of the WHO gather in Geneva but for the first time&nbsp;the event is happening online and it is the most important assembly in the history of the WHO with the world fighting a pandemic with more than 47 lakh people being infected by the Wuhan virus.

The virus has killed over 3 lakh people globally. The world wants answers from China and the World Health Organisation(WHO) for its failures to protect the world from the pandemic. The&nbsp;resolution connected with it was the first thing to come out of the World Health Assembly.

The&nbsp;resolution demanded an investigation into the international response to the outbreak with 60 countries backing it initially including India.

Now more than hundred countries are behind it. The resolution does not name China but, it is bound to raise some serious questions about China's response.

When China went through the worst phase during the coronavirus outbreak, President Xi Jinping had gone into hiding. Also Read: China always transparent about coronavirus, says President Xi The Chinese president was silent for four months, now when the world is battling the coronavirus epidemic, Xi Jinping is being served as a "savior".

When China went through the worst phase during the coronavirus outbreak, President Xi Jinping had gone into hiding. Also Read: China always transparent about coronavirus, says President Xi The Chinese president was silent for four months, now when the world is battling the coronavirus epidemic, Xi Jinping is being served as a "savior". China is now trying to spin a new narrative around its coronavirus response. The decision making body of the WHO - the World Health Assembly kicked off a two-day event today, however, for the Chinese president, it was a three-part act designed to repair the damage to China's reputation. President Xi was on a video conference during the World Health Assembly which is an annual affair with health ministers from member states attending the meeting. This time it is different since the coronavirus epidemic has become a global pandemic. Usually, the 194 member states of the WHO gather in Geneva but for the first time the event is happening online and it is the most important assembly in the history of the WHO with the world fighting a pandemic with more than 47 lakh people being infected by the Wuhan virus. The virus has killed over 3 lakh people globally. The world wants answers from China and the World Health Organisation(WHO) for its failures to protect the world from the pandemic. The resolution connected with it was the first thing to come out of the World Health Assembly. The resolution demanded an investigation into the international response to the outbreak with 60 countries backing it initially including India. Now more than hundred countries are behind it. The resolution does not name China but, it is bound to raise some serious questions about China's response.

China's new spin: President Xi presents himself as 'savior' at World Health Assembly

A report has come which alleges that coronavirus is manmade. This information obtained by the American media, Network Fox News claims that coronavirus emerged not as a bioweapon but a part of experiments by a Chinese scientist to prove that they are superior to the Americans in identifying emerging virus threats. Watch report.