User:AprilIsTrying/Wuhan Institute of Virology



The Wuhan Institute of Virology is a research institute located (unsurprisingly) in the city of Wuhan, China, in the Hubei province. The institute has a long history of research. The institute's official website states that, during the 1980s and 1990s, it investigated insect viruses, animal viruses, molecular viruses, virus classification preservation, environmental microbes, fermentation microorganisms, and microbial sensors. (http://english.whiov.cas.cn/About_Us2016/Brief_Introduction2016/) In the immediate aftermath of the SARS epidemic in 2003, the facility decided to investigate more viruses. Most notably, the institute chose to examine HIV (the virus causing AIDS), influenza viruses, hepatitis viruses, and all types of zoonotic viruses, amongst other viruses.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, oh horror, thus indeed studies both bat and human coronaviruses. Some of these viruses are zoonotic viruses. Hence, they spread from non-human animals to humans. For instance, a scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology discovered that SARS-CoV-1, the coronavirus causing the disease SARS, and therefore responsible for the SARS outbreak, originated from bats. To be sure, the institute stands at the forefront of coronavirus research. The institute's numerous scientific deeds, howsoever great they are, do not compose the body of this article nonetheless. Wuhan, China, is the industrious metropolis in which SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the disease COVID-19, which similarly originated from bats, emerged in the final days of 2019. The coincidence convinced conspiracy theorists that SARS-CoV-2 itself escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, intentionally or otherwise. (https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/07/16/lab-leak-evidence/) The rapid rise of sinophobia merely serves to hasten this baseless assumption.

But what if it did come from the institute?
"The rapid, open, and transparent sharing of data on this outbreak is now being threatened by rumours and misinformation around its origins . . ." https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30418-9/fulltext -The Lancet (if this statement convinces you the institute is not responsible, and not Chinese scientists themselves, you are a sinophobe.)

No, it did not. There is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 came from the institute. (https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/07/16/lab-leak-evidence/) Not a shred of it. Various news outlets report on the "theory," but it is mere suggestions and hypotheticals. Zoonotic viruses, causing zoonotic diseases do not qualify as a seldom phenomenon. It is most probable the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, causing the disease COVID-19, came from a mere bat. Not with biological terrorism nor a renegade, but rather the unfortunate result of the transmission of zoonotic viruses to humans. The institute itself literally discovered that SARS-CoV-2 likely came from bats! It studied the full SARS-CoV-2 genome and thereafter concluded that SARS-CoV-2 was 79% identical to SARS-CoV-1 and 96% identical to a virus sampled in 2013 from bats. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MN996531) (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7) Why would an institute purportedly releasing a zoonotic virus, inadvertently or purposefully, research that virus extensively and openly? Would they not flee from their crimes or perhaps admit the truth?

Much ado about absolutely nothing
Nevertheless, speculations permeate. These speculations need not receive extensive attention. They include but are not limited to the idea that a bat coronavirus (RaTG13) the Wuhan Institute of Virology discovered long ago happens to be a direct ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 (impossible due to a several decades-long difference in evolution), claims that the genome of SARS-CoV-2 bespeaks incontestable evidence of human intervention (still no), claims that zoonotic spillover occurred (it did not and seldom occurs regardless), and in general that either a worker handling a bat inside the institute acquired a zoonotic disease which then spread to others, or that the institute itself engaged in malign activities pertaining to bat coronaviruses via purposeful release of them. There are likely other less notable idiosyncratic beliefs regarding the conjectural involvement of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the COVID-19 pandemic. (https://www.snopes.com/news/2021/07/16/lab-leak-evidence/) The point is, that not a single one of these conspiracies possesses a shred of evidence. It is mere fantasy.

Unfortunately, what may enforce these theories was the decision to suppress particularly revelatory information regarding what was at the time a mere outbreak. A worker spoke about a patient's diagnostic report and stated they experienced a pneumonia infection due to a coronavirus. They were purportedly punished by a hospital supervisor for this statement. (https://archive.ph/Ls9PA) One cannot be certain as to whether or not the suppression of the outbreak in the early days helped to strengthen conspiracy theories that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was behind SARS-CoV-2, but due to pervading negative attitudes towards China, reasonably, one can assume it did not abate those theories. Why not assume the Wuhan Institute of Virology was behind SARS-CoV-2 when for a long while various countries saw China as a malign rival?

Moreover, racist misogynist  rapist  pseudoscientist  man who incited a fucking fascist insurrection and got away scot-free former President Donald Trump adored the conspiracy theory that there was somehow a laboratory leak. At some point, he claimed to possess evidence the Wuhan Institute of Virology created the virus SARS-CoV-2 via answering a reporter's question confirming he was very confident it came from that laboratory (and as per usual, not offering any bit of evidence proving such an audacious claim), and later saying "we’re going to see where it comes from, we have people looking at it very, very strongly. Scientific people, intelligence [sic] people, and others. We’re going to put it all together. I think we will have a very good answer eventually. And China might even tell us." (intelligence people?) Perhaps the former President of the United States promoting a conspiracy theory openly also helped an absurd accusation become viral. (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/30/donald-trump-coronavirus-chinese-lab-claim)

. ..

The reactions
Unsurprisingly, the Wuhan Institute laboratory leak fantasy resulted in the utilization of various condemnatory actions, still ignoring the absolute lack of evidence. The United States government, rather suddenly, suspended funding for research with the institute with regard to bat coronaviruses. The program involved capturing bats in order to collect samples of bat blood, saliva, and feces to discover if those specific samples contained any bat coronaviruses, as those coronaviruses may pose a probable threat to humanity via another pandemic. The program involved a United States nonprofit organization known as EcoHealth Alliance and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The program discovered four hundred theretofore unknown bat coronaviruses, indeed a wonderful achievement in coronavirus research. The program literally likely saved lives but was canceled nevertheless. (https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/29/847948272/why-the-u-s-government-stopped-funding-a-research-project-on-bats-and-coronaviru)