German and American scientists: SARS-CoV-2 virus is likely a product of a laboratory

Research by a group of German and American scientists shows that the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the Covid-19 pandemic can be created in the laboratory, with the genetic structure of a synthetic virus.

On October 23, RT cited research results from a group of German and American scientists showing that the SARS-CoV-2 virus causing the Covid-19 pandemic could have been created in a laboratory .

This group includes Mr. Valentin Bruttel (from Wuerzburg University, Germany), Mr. Alex Washburne (from Selva Analytics research center, USA) and Mr. Antonius VanDongene (from Duke University, USA).

A variant of the SARS-COV-2 virus. (PHOTO: NEWS SKY)

Specifically, scientists found a gene segment appearing at the stitching site (ie the location where the gene segments are joined), which, according to scientists, is a sign that SARS-CoV-2 has copied and replaced some gene segments from viruses in the natural environment.

The study found that the SARS-CoV-2 gene structure contains synonymous mutations (changing one triplet to another but encoding the same amino acid) that are only found in synthetic viruses and are very unlikely to occur naturally.

RT quoted researcher Valentin Bruttel as saying that SARS-COV-2 is 99.9% artificial, created from a natural virus . He added that he started his research program in the summer of 2021, when he discovered abnormalities in the genetic structure of this virus.

Meanwhile, a German virologist and head of the Institute of Virology at the University of Giessen (Germany) - Mr. Friedemann Weber said that the research of the three scientists above cannot confirm that SARS-COV-2 is a man-made virus , because the genetics and mutations of this virus can still occur in the natural environment.

However, Mr. Weber admitted that creating a virus like SARS-COV-2 is possible, but the process would be very complicated and time-consuming, RT reported.