Leading scientists reject coronavirus Wuhan lab leak theory: media

SYDNEY, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Leading virologists have recently released a paper that raises an objection to the coronavirus Wuhan lab leak theory, according to media report.

The authors of the paper published in Zenodo on Wednesday, including Australian Nobel laureate Peter Doherty, argued that while the exact animal that harboured COVID-19 has not yet been found, there is strong evidence for an animal origin, the Sydney Morning Herald reported on Thursday.

According to the report, the virologists thought SARS-CoV-2 seems different from those viruses leaked in past incidents.

"Crucially, there is no data to suggest the Wuhan Institute of Virology had SARS-CoV-2, or any virus close enough to evolve into it, to be able to leak it," said the report.

The Australasian Virology Society said in a statement that the paper "provides a point-by-point rebuttal of questions raised to support the 'lab leak' hypothesis."

The authors also believe there are no known human cases linked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, said the report.

"The animal origin of COVID-19 has not yet been confirmed, but this is not unusual," the report added.

Regarding the "gain-of-function" research that tests whether a virus could be made more infectious, the researchers wrote that SARS-CoV-2 has no genetic markers you would expect from such research, according to the report.