September 29th 2024.
The origin of the Covid-19 pandemic has been a topic of intense debate. Recently, Boris Johnson, the former Prime Minister, made a surprising statement in his new memoir. He now believes that the pandemic was not a result of natural animal-to-human transmission, but rather a leak from a Chinese laboratory.
This is a significant change from his previous stance, where he had stated that the virus had spread from animals in a market in Wuhan. Many scientists had also supported this theory, citing a study that had found traces of the virus in animals sold in the market. However, Mr. Johnson's new perspective points towards a possible botched experiment in a Chinese lab, where scientists were experimenting with different viruses.
In his memoir, Mr. Johnson expresses his belief that the Covid-19 pandemic was entirely man-made, in all its aspects. He compares the scientists' actions to the witches in Macbeth, splicing viruses together and creating a dangerous creature that eventually escaped the lab and spread globally.
Notably, Mr. Johnson is the first world leader since Donald Trump to suggest that the pandemic originated from a lab leak. This is a significant departure from the prevailing belief that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. However, a recent study published by an international team of researchers supports the theory that the virus started in a wet market in Wuhan.
The study found traces of the virus in animals sold in the market, providing evidence that these animals could have been responsible for transmitting the virus to humans. The lead author, Kristian Andersen, stated that this adds to the growing body of evidence that points towards infected animals being introduced into the market, sparking the pandemic.
Previously, Mr. Johnson had linked the pandemic to the belief in parts of Asia that ingesting pangolin scales could make one more potent. However, as more information emerged about the experiments being conducted in Wuhan, he became increasingly skeptical of this theory.
The controversy surrounding the origins of the pandemic has also caught the attention of the FBI. In 2023, the FBI Director, Christopher Wray, stated that the virus most likely originated from a lab incident. This is in contrast to the joint China-World Health Organization investigation, which deemed the lab leak theory to be "extremely unlikely."
However, the WHO investigation has faced criticism, and its director-general has called for a new inquiry, stating that all hypotheses should be further studied. The Mail on Sunday was the first mainstream media outlet to raise concerns about a possible lab leak in China, citing intelligence about an accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Despite DNA analysis tracing the virus to bats found in distant caves, the official line has been that the virus was transmitted at an animal market in Wuhan. However, the authors of the latest study into the origins of the virus suggest that the raccoon dog, along with other animals like masked palm civets and hoary bamboo rats, could have been carriers of the virus.
The study's lead author, Florence Débarre, has stated that a lab leak is a possibility that should be considered. She also clarified that the authors of the study do not believe in a cover-up, as some conspiracy theories suggest. In conclusion, the exact origins of the Covid-19 pandemic remain a contentious issue, and further research is needed to find the truth.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
