Have you ever heard of a prominent Chinese virologist called Shi Zhengli? Recently, he presented a detailed analysis of 56 novel betacoronaviruses collected between 2004 and 2021 in the Wuhan laboratory, revealing that none of these are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shi Zhengli's research on coronaviruses
Shi Zhengli, director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology, has spent years studying the coronavirus in bats. Her work earned her the nickname “Bat Woman.” She presented the results of her extensive study at a conference in Japan.
Data presented by Shi Zhengli support his claim that the Wuhan lab had not previously isolated or studied SARS-CoV-2 before the pandemic began. Despite the speculations on a possible escape of the virus from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, these results suggest that SARS-CoV-2 did not originate from samples present in the laboratory.
“We found no new sequences more closely related to SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.”
“This validates what he was saying: that it had nothing to do with anything, as we have seen in subsequent years.”
COVID Didn’t “Birth” in Wuhan Lab? The Implications of the Discovery
This finding has significant implications for understanding the origin of SARS-CoV-2. First of all, the “natural” origin of the virus would confirm the fact that future pandemics could emerge at any time and place, and this makes the strengthening of global surveillance systems even more crucial.
On the political level, then, a very strong commitment is required to avoid further episodes of zoonosis. Deforestation, intensive farming, destruction of natural habitats must be fought ferociously.
My feeling is that the “never-ending story” of COVID and its origins will never be fully clarified. The statements of the Chinese researcher underline however (perhaps for the benefit of the future) the importance of relying on scientific data to understand the origin of pandemics and prevent future health crises.
