In a surprising turn of events, a leading scientist who headed the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the Covid-19 pandemic has stated that a lab leak cannot be ruled out as the origin of the virus. George Gao, who played a key role in tracing the virus’s origin and combating the pandemic, suggested that the Chinese government may have given more weight to the hypothesis of a lab incident than their public statements suggest. He also revealed that an official review of activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) had taken place, but the CDC was not involved. This is the first official confirmation of a state investigation in China.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has been trying to determine the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, but has been unable to do so conclusively. In March 2021, a team of WHO researchers concluded that a lab accident was “extremely unlikely” to be the source of the virus. However, Gao’s recent comments have raised questions about the possibility of a lab leak. He stated that “you can always speculate. That’s science. Don’t rule anything out.”
Gao’s revelation about the official review of the WIV’s activities is significant, as it is the first time that the Chinese government has acknowledged such an investigation. However, Gao did not have access to the review’s findings, and it is unclear whether the investigation was thorough and transparent. The WHO has established the Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) to shed light on the origin of the virus, but crucial information is still missing. The worldwide search for the origin of Covid-19 continues, and Gao emphasized that the question of the virus’s source remains unanswered.
