There is 'zero direct evidence' for COVID-19 lab leak theory: expert

Origin tracing is of great significance and for the common good of all people. /CFP

Hunting for the origins of the coronavirus is of great significance and for the common good of all people, according to an article published on July 30 on Big News Network, a media organization headquartered in Dubai.

Tracing back the origins of the COVID-19 will help scientists and health experts find ways to prevent similar incidents from reoccurring in the future, the article quoted Dr Peter Ben Embarek, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) international team during the trip to Wuhan in February, as saying.

The WHO's report came out in late March after a group of experts finished their origin-tracing research in Wuhan. It concluded there's high probability that "the virus was introduced to the community through an unknown animal that acted as an intermediary between bats and people."

"According to the WHO, finding this animal would be the first step on a long journey toward determining how the spillover into the human population originally occurred," the article said.

As for the "lab leak theory," the Big News Network article quoted virologist Vincent Racaniello, professor of Microbiology Immunology at Columbia University Medical Center, as saying "there is zero direct evidence the virus came from a lab and thatsuch an idea completely ignores known scientific facts."

The article also said the lab leak theory is groundless, as can be seen by looking at how the media reported the issue.

The New York Times

once published a story headlined "Scientists don't want to ignore the lab leak theory, despite no new evidence." The Wire wrote a story called "The COVID-19 lab leak theory is a tale of weaponized uncertainty."

It also mentioned the U.S. has passed legislation to spend $300 million for a "countering Chinese influence" fund and $100 million in funds for media companies to "raise awareness of and increase transparency regarding the negative impact of activities related to the Belt and Road Initiative."

Such actions raised doubts on their intentions when it comes to the origin tracing which could misled the public, said the article. "If this complicated, sensitive, and important work cannot be done impartially and professionally, we will all suffer the consequences," it added.