The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted lives all over the world. In the first year of the pandemic, the world went under lockdown and almost every sector like education, economy, health and others suffered. Since 2020, billions of people have contracted the virus and millions have lost their lives to it. In 2021, coronavirus continues wreaking havoc all over the world.
This overwhelming condition of humankind raises one question. From where does this coronavirus came from? The leading theory is that it originated from China’s Wuhan Lab. Several researchers believe that the virus accidentally leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Responding to these claims, the World Health Organization investigated the lab and concluded that a lab leak is unlikely. Assuming further investigation as unnecessary WHO gave a clean chit to China.
However, a group of prominent scientists from Britain and the United States contradict WHO’s clean chit and say more investigation is needed in the matter. The group of scientists includes Ravindra Gupta, an Indian-origin immunologist and infectious disease specialist from the University of Cambridge.
Also Read: Tornado hits China’s Wuhan, 6 dead and 218 injured
Around 18 experts from the world’s leading universities like Harvard, Stanford and MIT emphasized the significance of the origin of coronavirus. They said it is important to know how Covid19 emerged so that global strategies could be made to reduce the risk of any future outbreak. The experts also suggested that unless sufficient data is available, authorities should consider both ways of virus outbreak- natural and laboratory leak.
In a published paper in the journal ‘Science,’ the experts said, “We agree with the Director-General of WHO, the US and 13 other countries, and European Union that it is necessary and possible to gain greater clarity about the origin of coronavirus pandemic. Unless there is enough data available, theories of Covid spread in a natural way and from the lab, both should be taken seriously.”
Demanding another investigation, the scientist said, “A proper investigation should be conducted. It should be transparent, objective-driven, and must have independent oversite with the management of conflict in interest. Public health agencies and research laboratories should make their records public.”