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CHINA
- China's behaviour since the start of the pandemic has also been under the microscope. Questions have been raised as to whether it may have accidentally or deliberately released the virus, and whether it may have exacerbated or exploited the situation for its own gain or to others' detriment.
Investigation of origin
- Wet markets—where SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes Covid-19) is thought to have originated—are found across East Asia and often feature a trade in wild animals including birds, rabbits, bats and snakes, alongside the sale of raw meat. They have long been known as a potential source for the emergence of respiratory diseases.[1]
- There has been significant scientific consensus that this was a natural outbreak. For example, a group of researchers from the UK, United States (US) and Australia, in a letter to Nature Medicine in March 2020, noted that "our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus".[2] In February 2020, a group of public health scientists had written to the medical journal The Lancet to "condemn conspiracy theories that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin". [3] (Subsequent releases of emails—as a result of a freedom of information request in the US and subsequent Congressional scrutiny—between a number of scientists revealed that one of those who had signed the letter to The Lancet had put the chance of Covid-19 being a leak from a laboratory at "70:30 or 60:40" two weeks prior, a figure he downgraded to 50:50 several days after his initial judgement. However, when questioned as to why he had signed the letter to The Lancet—which took a different stance—he said his view had changed in line with the evidence).[4] In April 2020, US intelligence agencies released a public statement noting: "The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified."[5]
- Despite this, there has been speculation about the origins of the virus—typically centring on the nearby laboratories in Wuhan that study bat coronaviruses (the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is a level 4 biosecurity facility—the highest for biocontainment—and the level 2 Wuhan Centre for Disease Control). Senior US figures—including then-President Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—have stated that there is "enormous evidence"[6]that the virus came from a lab, in direct contradiction of their own intelligence agencies. More broadly, some have suggested possible Chinese complicity or negligence in the origins of the virus (including a former Chief of SIS).[7]
- ↑ 'Wet markets—a continuing source of severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza?', Webster, R. G., The Lancet, 2004; 363(9404): 234–236.
- ↑ 'The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2', Nature Medicine, 17 March 2020.
- ↑ 'Statement in support of the scientist, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19', The Lancet, 2020; 395(10226): 42–43.
- ↑ 'Top SAGE adviser admitted lab leak theory was "most likely" origin of COVID in February 2020 but debate was shut down because it could "cause harm to China", bombshell emails reveal', MailOnline, 12 January 2022.
- ↑ 'Intelligence Community Statement on Origins of COVID-19', Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 30 April 2020.
- ↑ 'Pompeo Ties Coronavirus to China Lab Despite Spy Agencies' Uncertainty', New York Times, 7 May 2020.
- ↑ 'Coronavirus: Former MI6 boss says theory COVID-19 came from Wuhan lab must not be dismissed as conspiracy', Sky News, 6 July 2020.
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