Insta
Novel Coronavirus Is A Result Of Crazy Experiments At Wuhan Institute of Virology: Top Russian Microbiologist
IANS
Apr 24, 2020, 06:48 PM | Updated 06:48 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
A leading microbiologist from Russia has claimed that the novel coronavirus, which originated in Chinas Wuhan city, is the outcome of "crazy" experiments conducted by scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
In an interview to Russian daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, translated in a report by the UK-based Daily Mail, noted scientist Professor Peter Chumakov said, "They did absolutely crazy things, in my opinion."
He said the Chinese scientists created "variants of the virus without malicious intent", possibly aiming for an HIV vaccine.
The statement comes even as Russian President Vladimir Putin''s government has been warning against conspiracy theories which claim that coronavirus is laboratory-engineered.
Chief researcher at the Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology in Moscow, Chumakov in the interview, however, said that the picture of the possible creation of the current coronavirus is slowly emerging.
Scientists at the Wuhan Laboratory, he said, have been actively involved in the development of various coronavirus variants for over 10 years.
"Moreover, they did this, supposedly not with the aim of creating pathogenic variants, but to study their pathogenicity," he said.
According to the microbiologist, there are "several inserts, that is, substitutions of the natural sequence of the genome, which gave it special properties."
"For example, inserts in the genome, which gave the virus the ability to infect human cells. Now all this has been analysed... The Chinese and Americans who worked with them published all their works in the open (scientific) press," Chumakov said.
However, the academic, who is also connected to Russia''s Federal Research Centre for Research and Development of Immunobiological Preparations, said it was too early to blame anyone.
After an investigation is initiated, new rules will be developed that regulate the work with the genomes of such dangerous viruses, he said.
Earlier, Veronika Skvortsova, head of Russia's Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA), and Putin''s ex-health minister, was asked on Russia's Channel One if the pandemic virus could be man made.
"This question is not that easy. It demands a very thorough study. None of the versions can be ruled out," she had responded, adding, "We can see that a fairly large number of fragments distinguishes this virus from its very close relative, SARS.
They are approximately 94 per cent similar, the rest is different. I think that we must conduct a very serious research."
The story has been published via a syndicated feed, only the headline has been changed
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.