Wuhan lab suspected of leaking COVID-19 nominated for top science award in China

The Wuhan laboratory in China, which is suspected of leaking COVID-19, has been nominated for China's top science award.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences has nominated the Wuhan Institute of Virology for its Outstanding Science and Technology Achievement Prize in 2021, according to reports.

Shi Zhengli, head of Wuhan Institute of Virology, dubbed as batwoman, also received a special mention from the academy.

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According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the controversial lab has been nominated for the award for conducting "the most comprehensive and systematic identification research on the aetiology of COVID-19."

In medical context, aetiology refers to the investigation or attribution of the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition.

"The project's results have laid an important foundation and platform for the follow-up research on the origin, epidemiology, and pathogenic mechanism of the COVID-19 virus," said the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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The Wuhan Institute of Virology's research also contributed to the containment of the coronavirus pandemic and the development of COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the academy.

Dr Zhengli, the lab's director, has been accused of conducting "gain-of-function" (GOF) experiments, in which scientists boost the strength of a virus to better analyse its effects on hosts.

Many scientists think the coronavirus slipped out of Dr Zhengli's lab.

Dr Zhengli, on the other hand, refuted all accusations regarding the virus breach from the lab, adding, "How on earth can I bring up evidence for something where there is no evidence?"