British scientist Dr Peter Daszak, who previously dismissed the notion of COVID-19 being leaked through Wuhan lab, took a U-turn after the World Health Organization team came across 'never seen before' data. Dazask is part of the WHO team that visited the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology in China.
Since the outbreak of the virus in December 2019, the Wuhan lab has remained engulfed in the conspiracy theories related to virus being man made and leaked from the lab. The global pandemic has so far infected over 104 million people globally and killed more 2.27 million.
"New Information Helping To Look At the Right Direction"- Dr Daszak
Head of EcoHealth Alliance, Dr Daszak along with other scientists met Dr Shi Zhengli, China's "Bat Woman", during the nearly three-hour trip to the lab. Speaking to Sky News, Dr Daszak, revealed that they have come across data previously unseen. "We are seeing new information and it's good, it's very valuable stuff that is beginning to help us look at the right directions for this virus," he told the outlet.
"They are sharing data with us that we have not seen before - that no one has seen before. They are talking with us openly about every possible pathway. We really are getting somewhere and I think every member of the team would say that," he said.
The scientist also revealed that the WHO team also went to the Huanan seafood market and spoke with the market managers and vendors. "We are talking to people who collected samples from the floor of the market that then tested positive. That's the sort of information we are getting with the person that really matters," he added.
WHO Team Looking Into Possibility of Wuhan Lab's Role in COVID-19
Stating that they were not ruling out the possibility of Lab being involved in COVID-19 spread, Dr Daszak said that they were all aware of the hypotheses around the potential involvement of the lab in this and are certainly going to ask questions about all of the key aspects of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
"If there are data that point towards any hypothesis, we'll follow the data, we'll follow the evidence where it leads us. If it leads us to a seafood market and a cold chain, we'll follow it there. If it leads us to a wildlife farm or a wildlife market we'll go there. If it leads us to a lab we'll go there. Everything's on the table and we're keeping an open mind," he told the outlet.
Controversy surrounded the inclusion of Dr Daszak in the team after it was found that his organization channeled cash into the lab. The scientists who also shares close ties with Dr Shi had previously rebuked the conspiracy surrounding the lab calling it part of a campaign of "misinformation and finger-pointing".
The lab has been conducting research on bat viruses since 2015. The research also included the collection of new coronaviruses and hugely controversial 'gain of function' experiments that increase their ability to infect humans, reported Daily Mail.
