Virologist Marion Koopmans is said to be “baffled” by recent reports about the possible origin of the Coronavirus five years ago. “You will not hear me saying that it is impossible that it came out of a lab, but there is currently no scientific research data that proves this,” she said.
German media revealed a 2020 report on the origins of SARS-CoV-2 from the German intelligence agency BND last week. The agency had said there was an “80 to 90 percent chance” that the virus had escaped from the Chinese lab of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The exact substantiation for this opinion remained unclear. “Why is nothing happening with that?” Koopmans questioned.
Investigating the lab theory was not part of the assignment she and an international group of colleagues were given in 2021 to investigate the origins of the virus for the World Health Organization (WHO). "We added that ourselves."
The researchers concluded at the time that the lab theory was “extremely unlikely,” although they could not rule it out entirely. Based on the available information, it is still "a very big leap" from the work done by the Wuhan lab to the highly contagious coronavirus for humans. "The evidence that I see still favors a wildlife origin," Koopmans said.
At the same time, she sees a lack of candor in China. She cannot rule out the possibility that a part of the work in Wuhan has remained secret. She also disapproves of the research into the origin of the virus currently being conducted there.
"I find it extremely inconvenient that there is not more action in China. They can do the studies there, but that process is stalling. As a result, we can only speculate," said the virus expert from the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.
The polarisation and manipulation surrounding this subject concerns her. She receives strong, personal criticism online when she speaks about the coronavirus. “This makes me more hesitant, while I have no other interest but science.”