As scientists, doctors, academics and conspiracy theorists toss around ideas and speculate on where the highly infectious virus originated, a professor in etiology at the National Taiwan University has claimed that the highly infectious virus could be “synthetic” in nature – in other words, man-made.
Questions about the exact origin of the novel coronavirus have grown as it spread across China and then beyond. Hubei, the central Chinese province where it first erupted, reported 499 new cases on Tuesday, while South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Italy have become the new frontiers in the battle to contain the contagion.
Speculation has grown about how the Covid-19 virus came into being. The official conclusion by Chinese authorities is that a dingy wet market in Wuhan – Hubei’s capital – was the source of the respiratory pathogen as animal-human transmission could have occurred there.
There has been much speculation about a virology institute in the city, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with rumors about a leakage due to slack management triggering a public health crisis worse than the SARS incident of 2003.
Some of the more nonsensical talk includes a conspiracy theory that the United States “made” the virus to mass-infect Chinese people and stop the rise of its arch-rival.
Now a professor in etiology at the National Taiwan University has claimed the highly infectious virus could be “synthetic” in nature, or man-made.
“Researchers likely synthesized the Covid-19, although more studies are needed to be certain,” NTU professor Fang Chi-tai told a forum on disease control and prevention in Taipei held by the Taiwan Public Health Association earlier this month.
During his presentation, Fang outlined several hypotheses raised by Taiwanese and overseas researchers, including the probability that the virus was “man-made” and was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology due to gross mismanagement.
Fang said the Wuhan facility’s biosafety level-4 laboratory was used to store, handle and research samples of SARS, Ebola and other deadly infectious viruses.
“Given China’s poor track record of lab safety management, including a leakage of the SARS virus at a state lab in 2004, it is possible that a virus escaped from the Wuhan facility and resulted in the epidemic,” Fang was quoted by Taiwan’s Central News Agency and the Taipei Times as saying.
He added that analyses of the Covid-19 virus have shown that it had a 96% genetic similarity with an RaTG13 bat virus also stored at the institute, and that the Covid-19 could be “manufactured” by modifying the RaTG13 virus.
Fang also revealed that French researchers had discovered four more amino acids in the gene sequence of Covid-19 than other known coronaviruses, which could be added artificially to make the viral transmission easier.
Fang’s theory is that natural mutations of viruses will only result in small, singular changes, and it is suspicious to see a naturally mutated virus suddenly take on four amino acids.
Determining the source of the virus would have important implications for epidemiology, he added, saying that if the virus was indeed synthetic, then it could be easier for it to be eradicated.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s top research institute Academia Sinica said its researchers had already developed an antibody testing method for Covid-19 infection and made encouraging progress in synthesizing remdesivir, a medicine that many believe could cure the infection.
Taiwan’s Center for Disease Control on Tuesday sent serum samples from three people who had contact with Taiwan’s first Covid-19 fatality to the Academia Sinica, as part of a joint effort to determine the source of that infection and if the three had developed antibodies. The initial tests showed that only one sample had antibodies for Covid-19 and SARS.
The sample was obtained from a Taiwanese businessperson who was not listed as a confirmed case, as researchers believed his immune system had beaten the virus. Yet the institute said it was still a mystery whether a person who had recovered from a novel coronavirus infection could contract it again.
Another team at Taiwan’s Institute of Chemistry has also succeeded in synthesizing 100mg of remdesivir.
The synthesized drug cannot be used without the consent of a US pharmaceutical firm that manufactures remdesivir. It was reported that Taiwan was negotiating a technology transfer deal to start mass production of the antiviral drug.
Remdesivir is a novel drug developed by the California-based Gilead Sciences as a treatment for Ebola virus and Marburg virus infections, and it has subsequently been found to show antiviral activity against other viruses.
Based on its success against other coronavirus infections, Gilead provided remdesivir to physicians that treated an American patient infected with Covid-19 and was offering the compound to China for a pair of trials in infected individuals with and without severe symptoms.
The mystery of how and where the virus started may take longer to discover than the cure.
Read more: Coronavirus ‘lab leakage’ rumors spreading
Pft….I believe we all know this is man made, but are too scared to resign to the fact that a handful of governments can kill the entire population.
How about just resigning that we all are going to die one day, this “virus” just speeds along what is inevitable. I’ve been out in public, working, socializing etc. Meh, we either die today, tomorrow or whenever, like who cares. 🤷♀️
TruthSeeker, You must not have anything useful to contribute to society or anyone who needs your care or love. Please continue to expose yourself if you wish, but don’t go to the hospital when you get sick that would be a waste of valuable resources.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/mers-cov/en/
Coincidence?
China people are so cunning fellows they have so much jealous on countries like india,usa,russian so they have made attempts to make a synthetic bacteria to fight bio war on these countries so i dont like china and chinese people
Good comment Frank. Glad you mention the fake news. They are the enemy within. Not sure they are all on the China payroll though. Some of them just like Communism and hate America.
Here in the USA it seems people have reached the tipping point when it comes to attitudes towards China. It is now 100% clear that China is the deadly enemy of the USA and we must respond. Our media, much of which is on the Chinese payroll, tries to deflect from the fact that the virus originated in China. Fortunately our President Trump despises the fake news media and tells the truth about China. We are going to bring all our production from China back to the USA where it belongs. Without the USA, China will revert to what it was before the USA and Europe raised China out of the dark ages. Unless of course the Chinese can muster the courage to replace the Communist dictatorship with a democratic system.
This is a 3rd world war.
This is such a miracle that China and the US do not have to fight a hot battle. China and the West fought a battle with the virus separately. Now that China had mobilized decisively and curbed that outbreak. The current situation in EU does not look good. And it is not even possible to predict the endgame in the US.
Any way, it is a demonstration of national capability (governance, industrial output, and citizens support, etc). This is what a 3rd world war demands. By comparing the report cards, the rest of the world will be the judges of the scores.
It was manufactured in China and due to their consistent lack of proper controls it got out
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/sudden-militarization-wuhans-p4-lab-raises-new-questions-about-origin-deadly-covid-19
No. It is from USA
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.globalresearch.ca/who-made-coronavirus-u-s-israel-china/5705628/amp
You are right Marti Jo McKeighen. I’m going to try and find a bio suit or two to wear. I wont shake hands or hug friends. Getting change from the store last night the cashier touched my hand, I went home and scrubbed my hands with Dawn and Lysol it just flipped me out. People are starting get the message now but, too late!
We’ve been warned about this very scenario for many years and because the virus isn’t peeling your skin off and killing in seconds people want to keep on like it’s not affecting them. Good luck Marti, hope you dont catch it. Also the rest of you guys, and Molly, good luck.
Folks, I do not believe this is the time for pointing fingers. We have a series Crisis with Covid 19 that we have to contend with now no matter whose responsible. Isn’t the bottom line for all of us to band together now & follow instructions to the best of our ability and Pray to GOD or who ever you pray to, that they get a Cure & a Vaccine for this Virus & get this Pandemic stopped?
Lock it down folks. People don’t want to lose their freedom so we muddle along like it’s not going to be a problem in our area. If u love your families, your friends, or care about your communities we must take more evasive steps.
I didn’t read all of your posts so if I’m repeating someone’s comments sorry.
I care about this country as I’m sure I’m reaching someone else that shares this opinion. This scares the xxxx out of me and mine, so, as I said in the beginning, lock your communities down. I know its unheard of in the USA and panick is not my favorite word, but I believe it’s coming judging by the near glacial movement of the authorities, and lack of medical supplies I’ve been seeing on TV, this is becoming a big flippin mess.
This is only an opinion,but, thanks for, I guess you could say, listening.
It was from a bio lab warning from 1995.A lung disease will also break out in humans through the guilt of China, where bioweapons are being researched and a carelessness is releasing pathogens. (Billy) Edward Albert Meier
North Korean’s Dictator, Kim Jong-un is the one who was responsible for releasing the man-made COVID-19 virus. Kim Jong killed his brother, he’s capable of killing thousands. Remember the video footage showing two girls at the airport terminal who rubbed two biological fluids over Kim’s brother’s face, who died within 10 minutes after receiving it.
Why would you even think American Government would release the virus to harm China and it’s people? Do you realize that 85%-95% of all food, pharmacy, electronics, etc. all come from China – think before you make such foolish statements.
North Korean’s Dictator, Kim Jong-un’s ominous December message sending a ‘Christmas Gift’ to U.S. President Trump never arrived… or did it?
Perhaps, Trump and America’s Civil Defense Department miscalculated by anticipating the launching of a rocket rather then a terrestrial launching of a biological virus by a frustrated Kim Jong-Un?
After Failed negotiations and unfulfilled promises lifting sanctions by Trump discussed with prior North Korean meetings sparked anger with Kim Jong-un. Apparently Kim’s theatrical display in the destruction of one of his nuclear facilities was not enough to lift the sanctions imposed by the White House. Envious of Trump’s focus on trade negotiations with China and Trump’s failure to keep his end of the bargain: fueled intense anger prompting Kim Jong-un’s actions in sending an ominous December message sending a “Christmas Gift” to President Trump. The logical way Kim Jong-un could possibly deliver it would be by way of China via a Trojan Horse (infected pig) from North Korea’s Biological Lab with Kim Jong-un’s ‘fingerprints’ all over it.
By reviewing the timeline of events that have occurred starting from Kim Jong’s “Christmas Gift” message to the gift being delivered throughout China in January and to unsuspecting sightseeing passengers on cruise ships happened abnormally fast with the delayed discovery of a virus called Covid-19.
After Kim Jong’s launch of “the gift”, Kim Jong immediately secluded himself in January, as reported by Dong-a llbo. “Kim Jong-un had kept sheltered over 22 days within his residence and had closed off its border with China, and had severely limited travel between the two countries, PRIOR to China’s discovery of the coronavirus” (also referred to as COVID-19). This news had raised many eyebrows with various dignitaries and members of The United Nations. Such news may be attributed to North Korea’s advanced early Government warning as far back as early January of 2020. “North Korea instructed the hermit country to avoid a possible virus at all costs, isolating anyone who has traveled to China or has had contact with Chinese people”, as reported by Dong-a llbo and Daily Mail
National Post (Feb 13, 2020). Pyongyang had announced changes to any impending viruses for quarantines for certain individuals from the usual 14 days to 30 days.
Most likely Russia with said parties which has everything to gain and nothing to loose as well as the know-how and best capabilities to deploy.