It has been revealed that Wuhan Institute of Virology had been performing experiments on bats from the cave which is being touted as the source of the coronavirus outbreak. The daily Mail has reported that experiments were conducted on the bats captured more than 1,000 miles away in Yunnan at the Wuhan-based laboratory. In addition, it has also been reported that researchers were provided USD 3.7 million grant by the US government for these experiments.
Scientists have been able to trace the sequence of the COVID-19 genome to the bats in the caves of Yunnan. Currently, the cause of the coronavirus outbreak is being attributed to a wet market in Wuhan. However, senior government sources in UK told the Daily Mail that it will be unwise to disregard other theories.
As per an unverified source, the outbreak could have occurred as a result of researchers at Wuhan Institute of Virology being infected after being sprayed with blood containing the virus. If this is true, the local community could have been infected from the researchers and not the Wuhan wet market.
The Daily Mail also reported that the experiments conducted on bats at Wuhan laboratory were part of a project funded by the US National Institutes of Health.
Earlier, Cao Bin, a doctor at the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, also stated that the coronavirus might not have originated from Wuhan animal market. According to him, researches show that 13 of the first 41 patients were not in contact with the market.
“It seems clear that the seafood market is not the only origin of the virus,” he said.
Anthony Bellotti, president of the US pressure group White Coat Waste, slammed the US for funding research projects in China on Saturday.
“Animals infected with viruses or otherwise sickened and abused in Chinese labs reportedly may be sold to wet markets for consumption once experiments are done,” he was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.
Moreover, US Congressman Matt Gaetz said: “I’m disgusted to learn that for years the US government has been funding dangerous and cruel animal experiments at the Wuhan Institute, which may have contributed to the global spread of coronavirus, and research at other labs in China that have virtually no oversight from US authorities.”
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