KUALA LUMPUR: A group of scientists from around the world has reaffirmed their opinion that there is no scientifically validated evidence to support the theory that the Covid-19 virus had leaked from a laboratory in China.
The scientists wrote a letter in The Lancet medical journal that peer-reviewed studies strongly suggest that the virus evolved in nature, while at the same time calling for more collaboration to investigate the origins of the virus.
One of The Lancet Covid-19 Commission Task Force members, Malaysia's Prof Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit said the letter was a follow-up to the group's writing last year in which they supported Chinese scientists and dismissed the theory that Covid-19 does not have a natural origin.
"The new Lancet letter provides the strongest peer-reviewed evidence in the scientific literature to date that the coronavirus pandemic emerged via a natural spillover event," Dr Lam, who is also one of the authors of the letter, said in a statement today.
Aside from Dr Lam, other prominent figures who are part of the group includes a member of the UK's Sage advisory group Sir Jeremy Farrar, German virologist Dr Christian Drosten, epidemics lead at the Wellcome Trust Dr Josie Golding and Dr Gerald Keusch, a professor at Boston University's National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory.
In the letter, all 24 of the scientists backed a recent call from G7 nations for further inquiry into the origins of the virus that causes Covid-19.
At the same time, they also urged the World Health Organisation (WHO) to "expeditiously" continue a study with experts in China and the Chinese government.
The reason for expressing their reaffirmation on the Covid-19 origin yet again, according to them, is an expression of solidarity with those in China who confronted the outbreak as well as the many health professionals around the world who had since worked to exhaustion.
"The second intent of our original Correspondence was to express our working view that SARS-CoV-2 most likely originated in nature and not in a laboratory, on the basis of early genetic analysis of the new virus and well-established evidence from previous emerging infectious diseases, including the coronaviruses that cause the common cold as well as the original SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
"Allegations and conjecture are of no help, as they do not facilitate access to information and objective assessment. Recrimination has not, and will not, encourage international cooperation and collaboration," they said.
However, they acknowledged that their views were "neither data nor conclusions" and that inquiry should be guided by the scientific process, including "ongoing dialogue" and asking "new questions".
"Careful and transparent collection of scientific information is essential to understand how the virus has spread and to develop strategies to mitigate the ongoing impact of Covid-19, whether it occurred wholly within nature or might somehow have reached the community via an alternative route."