Berlin - The head of the Institute of Virology in the Chinese
city of Wuhan has rejected allegations in the United States that the
novel coronavirus could have originated in his laboratory.
"There's no way this virus came out from us," said Yuan Zhiming in an
interview with state television, the English language transcript of
which was published by Chinese media on Sunday.
"We clearly know what kind of virus research is going on in the
institute and how the institute manages viruses and samples," he
added.
None of the laboratory staff had been infected with coronavirus, the
director said, adding that he understood why people had jumped to
conclusions about his institute in Wuhan, the city where the pandemic
originated.
"But it's bad when some are deliberately trying to mislead people,"
said Yuan Zhiming. "I know it's impossible," he added. "This is
entirely based on speculation."
The lab director also contested the thesis, already rejected by
scientists, that the virus could have been originally generated in
the laboratory.
"There is no evidence to prove that the virus has artificial or
synthetic traces," he said.
His comments came the day after US President Donald Trump said the
US was investigating whether the virus could have originated in the
Wuhan lab. "It seems to make sense," he told reporters.
The first infections with the coronavirus were linked with an animal
market in Wuhan. Experts believe the virus comes from bats and might
also have been spread via another host animal.