COVID-19 origin could be natural or synthetic: NTU professor

Focus Taiwan
Date: 02/22/2020
By: Chen Chih-chung and Matthew Mazzetta

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) A professor at National Taiwan University's (NTU) College of Public Health on Saturday waded into the highly contentious debate over the origins of the COVID-19 coronavirus, saying that the virus could indeed be synthetic, but that much more research is needed before a definitive conclusion can be reached.

At an educational forum hosted by the Taiwan Public Health Association, Professor Fang Chi-tai (方啟泰) said finding the virus' origin is vital because of its implications for response measures, which usually differ based on whether viruses are naturally occurring or synthetic.

The theory that the COVID-19 was developed in a laboratory and accidentally released has gained enough attention in recent weeks to draw a statement from the World Health Organization (WHO), which said conspiracy theories only undermine its response efforts.

In an open letter Wednesday, public health scientists from nine countries also denounced the notion of a laboratory virus, saying it was a "conspiracy theory" that threatened "the rapid, open and transparent sharing of data" between China and other countries.    [FULL  STORY]