By Lija Feba
Did it come from bats or pangolins? Or was it leaked from the Wuhan lab? With the COVID-19 and its new variants, the world is once again pointing at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. And this is going to be not just scientific, but also a major political event.
The Biden administration has already begun its investigations on COVID-19 origins. Being the first where deadly virus was reported and being chided for a lack of explanation, China is under suspicion right from the start.
Without having substantial evidence, several theories came into being. A few of them said that the virus originated in nature while a few condemned China’s mishandling of the virus. Finally, most of the latter reached on a conclusion that the virus manufactured was a bio-weapon and Wuhan was the epicenter.
Contrary to this, China stated that a sudden spike in pneumonia cases in Wuhan led to the outbreak. An absence of investigation amidst lab leak theories put China under further doubt.
The lab leak theory has gained more strength with an Australian daily report. The report read that China had plans for a bio-weapon. Experts like the former science writer Nicholas Wades suggested the member countries of WHO ask China to unseal lab’s records.
Besides the U. S. Japan, Portugal and Australia have called for a detailed investigation into the matter.
The lab leak theory began with Botao Xiao, a biomechanics researcher publishing a paper. The paper cited that the virus originated from Wuhan lab.
U.S. Defense Intelligence continued to carry investigations on this revelation. Earlier, Times of London reported that a virus 96% similar to corona virus was found in a copper mine in China in 2012. All the theories were dismissed by Chinese authorities and no probe was assigned.
A recent retrospection into the lab theory took place with a report by U. S intelligence. It showed that three researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology were ill and hospitalized in November, 2019. This was just a month before China reported its first case.
However, a more serious study on the origin of a pandemic which has claimed around 35 lakh lives over 180 countries is to be done.