The debate over SARS-CoV-2 origins — natural zoonotic spillover vs. Wuhan Institute of Virology lab leak.
Scope: COVID-19 pandemic origins, virology research
The origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains a subject of intense debate, primarily revolving around two main hypotheses: natural zoonotic spillover from an animal host or a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). While early consensus leaned towards natural origin, subsequent investigations and new information have led to a re-evaluation, with both theories still considered plausible by various scientific and intelligence communities. The lack of a definitive intermediate host for a natural spillover and the WIV's research on bat coronaviruses near the pandemic's epicenter fuel the lab leak hypothesis.
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