This undated electron microscope image made available by the U.S. National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, blue/pink, cultured in the lab. (NIAID-RML via AP)

Coronavirus: China virologist says COVID-19 man-made, market claims false

China

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Ismaeel Naar, Al Arabiya English

Published: 13 September ,2020: 02:30 AM GST Updated: 13 September ,2020: 08:29 AM GST

A Chinese whistleblower virologist now in hiding in the United States has dismissed claims that the COVID-19 coronavirus came from a wet market and said that she had evidence it came from Chinese military labs.

Dr. Li-Meng Yan made the claims during an interview with ITV’s Loose Women program on Friday during which she said that human to human transmission already existed when she began investigating SARS-COV-2 in late December last year.

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“That at first, China government was discovering the COVID-19 situation. The second thing is the whole situation is human to human transmission already exists. The third thing is SARS-COV-2 is a high mutant virus and it will become the outbreak soon if no control,” Dr. Li said.

“The fourth thing is the seafood market in Wuhan and all the intermediate hosts that are a smokescreen and final thing is this virus is not from nature. This is based on the China Military Institute to discover and owned some bad coronavirus ... Based on that after some modification becomes a novel virus,” she added.

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Dr. Li said she had reported her findings to her supervisor, a World Health Organization (WHO) consultant earlier this year but was ignored. She was told to toe the line and remain silent or risk retribution from the Chinese government.

“Actually, I reported to my supervisor who is a WHO consultant but there is no response from WHO and from them because everyone warned me that don't cross the red line and don't ... keep silent, if not, I will get this disappeared,” said the Chinese whistleblower, who used to work at the Hong Kong School of Public Health and was tasked with looking into a cluster of virus cases in late December.

The director of the Chinese National Health Commission has said denied claims of a coverup and said that there was no delay by the Chinese government in reporting and investigating the outbreak of the coronavirus.

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