A geopolitical expert and a Senior Fellow of the Atlantic Council believes that the coronavirus or COVID-19 did not originate from the seafood market of Wuhan but also mentioned China has to be blamed for the crisis.
Jamie Metzl has mentioned that the virus was not genetically altered. He claimed that whatever be the origins of the virus, China needs to take the blame for the foundation of the crisis due to information suppression.
COVID-19 and Seafood Market
Referring to a Lancet study, the expert stated that there is strong evidence pointing that the novel virus outbreak did not originate from the seafood market. "This was clear early on but Chinese officials held to this story until late May 2020, when the evidence against this claim became wholly indefensible," he mentioned as reported by ANI.
He added that the Hunan seafood market does not sale bats and most of the bat's species might be hibernating during the time of the outbreak. "It was reported that 34 percent of cases had no contact with the market, and 'no epidemiological link was found between the first patient and later cases," he said quoting Lancet.
Coronavirus Origin Investigation
Metzl mentioned that even before the outbreak, China had a pretty poor safety record at many of the biosecurity facilities adding that the market was just three miles from the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control, which was blamed for being the source of the outbreak by a notable scholar.
Metzl also claimed that it is very much important to get to the end of the crisis and find the origin of the virus as too much is at stake. He mentioned that the WHO and the other investigations must be given full authority to find all the answers related to the origin of the deadly virus. The expert stated that the investigation also requires access to information and materials from the virology institutes of Wuhan and also relevant Chinese organizations, which should be provided.
The deadly virus outbreak has infected more than 17.6 million people globally and claimed the lives of over 679,000 people worldwide, as per the latest reports. Scientists around the world are working to find a cure for the virus as many vaccine candidates are at different stages of the trial. An effective vaccine is expected by the first quarter of 2021.
