Chinese lab leak theory to be investigated

AN INTERNATIONAL team of scientists will examine the possibility that Sars-cov-2 leaked from a laboratory as part of their comprehensive investigation into the origins of the virus.

The team is being set up as part of the Lancet Covid-19 Commission, a body formed in July to “offer practical solutions” to the pandemic and make recommendations on how to avoid or better defend against the next one.

Dr Peter Daszak, a British zoologist and leading authority on zoonotic spillover events who is leading the team, said yesterday that it would “systematically examine” every theory about the origin of the virus.

He said that, as a scientist, he would “not be bound by preconceived ideas” and would investigate all avenues but he warned that it was unlikely it would ever be possible to say with “absolute certainty” how the virus came about.

Since the pandemic first emerged in Wuhan, China, a deluge of conspiracy theories have speculated on its origins.

The commission notes in its mission statement that “the evidence to date supports the view that Sars-cov-2 is a naturally occurring virus rather than the result of laboratory creation and release”.

However, it says investigators should examine the “possibility of laboratory involvement” in “a scientific and objective way that is unhindered by geopolitical agendas and misinformation”.

The wider commission is chaired by Prof Jeffery Sachs, an eminent American economist and UN adviser. He will oversee the investigation, including the world’s reaction to the virus and will make recommendations to boost future pandemic preparedness.