Scientist unable to comment on theory of US Army lab as virus source

A Chinese scientist said on Thursday that China is currently unable to comment on speculation that an infectious disease laboratory under the United States Army could be the origin of the novel coronavirus pandemic. He also appealed to the global community to focus on reining in the virus's spread through effective disease control measures at this stage.

Shi Yi, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Microbiology, said determining where a virus originated has been a conundrum for scientists around the world and more research is needed from global researchers to identifying the origin of the novel coronavirus.

Shi made the statement in response to a question that centers on a prominent military lab at FortDetrick, Maryland, in the United States, which was reportedly abruptly shut down in August and has recently reopened.

According to the question raised by the online media outlet Paper.cn, there is speculation that the virus that caused the ongoing pandemic originated in that laboratory and was associated with this winter's influenza flu outbreak in the United States. The virus was suspected of being carried into China by American military personnel who joined the Military World Games held in Wuhan in October, where the disease was first spotted in China in late December. While in Wuhan, the virus mutated and caused widespread infections.

Shi said since American officials have not publicly responded to the claim of the virus emanating from a US lab, China is unable to make a judgment on its veracity.

According to Shi, as scientists from different countries are conducting research on the origin of the virus, many viewpoints, presuppositions and assumptions have been put forward.

However, the task of determining where a virus originated will take a long time and immediate theories are often inconclusive. "Research into the origins of diseases, such as HIV and the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, has often stretched over decades, and until now, scientists have not reached definitive conclusions on some of them," he said.

As the novel coronavirus is still spreading rapidly across the globe, Shi said global communities should prioritize rolling out disease prevention and control measures to contain the virus, and in terms of the origin of the virus, more in-depth research is needed.

He added that Chinese scientists alsohave  launched relevant research projects, to identify the origin of the virus and provide clues for targeted epidemic control strategies.