China: Finding the Origin of the Coronavirus Could Take Decades or More

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated in a press briefing in Beijing today, Thursday, that it may take decades or more to determine the origin of the COVID-19 virus. He added that the theory of the virus leaking from the Wuhan laboratory is merely a rumor, according to Bloomberg News. The Xinhua News Agency quoted renowned German virologist Christian Drosten from the Charité Institute of Virology in Berlin, responding to a question about the origins of the novel coronavirus and the theory that it accidentally leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, saying, "The idea of a research accident is extremely unlikely for me as it would be highly complex." Drosten, who has researched coronaviruses for years and played a crucial role in discovering the SARS-associated coronavirus in 2003, indicated that the most likely origin is the breeding of carnivorous animals and the fur industry.