Coronavirus wasn’t made in a Chinese lab, concludes virologist
SARS-CoV-2 most likely jumped to humans from a wildlife species, says Professor Edward Holmes, who has argued for the removal of some species from wet markets
Sydney virologist Professor Edward Holmes says humankind should prepare for SARS-CoV-2 to be with us for some time, as it seems “inevitable” it will become endemic.
Professor Holmes, an evolutionary virologist from the University of Sydney, has also dispelled speculation the virus may have been a laboratory-engineered biological agent.
“There is no evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans, originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China,” he said.
“Coronaviruses are commonly found in wildlife species and frequently jump to new hosts. This is the most likely explanation for the origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
