Strange coronavirus pneumonia escaped from Chinese lab?

Protective gear of scientists. (Source: WVI)

Corona Virus and What You Need to Know

(Baonghean.vn) - So far, people have discovered that corona viruses only infect vertebrates and cause respiratory, digestive and nervous system diseases in humans and animals in general. The new coronavirus found in Wuhan (China) is a new species and has not been found before.

The facility was established in 2017 and scientists warned that year that SARS-like coronaviruses could escape from WNBL and pose a danger to humans.

WNBL is one of five to seven biological laboratories that China plans to build to study the most dangerous viruses that cause Ebola and SARS. WNBL is located on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Tim Trevan, a Maryland, US biosecurity consultant, told the magazineNaturethat he was concerned about the safety of WNBL. According to the article published in this magazine, the SARS virus is believed to have escaped from a laboratory in Beijing multiple times in 2017.

According toDailymailWNBL is located about 30 kilometers from the Wuhan wildlife market, raising theories about the origin of the new coronavirus, although it is also possible that this is just a coincidence.

“At this point there is no reason to hide suspicions that” the WNBL is linked to the virus outbreak, said Dr. Richard Ebright from Rutgers University, UK.

According toWashington TimesWNBL is the only facility in China declared qualified to research potentially deadly viruses. There are only 54 clinics with such qualifications worldwide.

Scientists working at WBNL are equipped with careful protective gear to avoid being infected with the virus.

Scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (Source: WVI)

WNBL is also equipped to conduct animal research, which worries Mr Trevan. He says research into vaccines or treatments for viruses is often tested on monkeys before they are tested on humans. However, monkeys are unpredictable and can transmit the virus through scratches or bites.

China concealed the epidemic?

Meanwhile,TelegraphSome experts have raised concerns that China may be covering up the outbreak as it took swift and somewhat extreme measures against the novel pneumonia.

On the Internet, many videos were posted showing the scene of patients jostling to line up in the hospital while medical staff seemed to be overloaded.

After weeks of delaying emergency measures to contain the outbreak, China locked down Wuhan and surrounding cities, affecting tens of millions of people. This raises questions about whether such extreme measures affecting civil liberties were really necessary, according toTelegraph.

Meanwhile, Chinese media have not carried many reports showing concerns that the outbreak could become more serious, despite the fact that the number of deaths and infections is increasing.

The first cases emerged on December 8, and officials said the disease was under control and treatable. However, it was only after the disease spread to other cities that authorities began to take swift and harsh measures.

Many say the current bans appear to have come too late as the disease has spread to Asia and even Europe and the US.