China scientist debunks fringe theory linking coronavirus to lab leak

BEIJING (China Daily/ANN): A scientist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has debunked a recent conspiracy theory that claimed the novel coronavirus was manufactured and escaped from the institute's most advanced biocontainment facility.

Shi Zhengli, a researcher from the institute, said on social media on Sunday (Feb 2) that the virus was the result of "nature punishing the uncivilised habits and customs of humans", and she is willing to "bet my life that it has nothing to do with the lab".