China’s famous virologist Shi Zhengli, also known as ‘batwoman’, has warned that another coronavirus outbreak is “highly likely” to take place in future. The virologist in a recent research paper has pressed for the world to be well prepared, given the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic that has claimed several lives. The ‘batwoman’ also noted that “if a coronavirus caused diseases to emerge before, there is a high chance it will cause future outbreaks”.
In the study, Zhengli and her team from the Wuhan Institute of Technology, examined the human spillover risk of 40 coronavirus species and rated half of them as highly risky. Out of these, six are known to have caused diseases that have affected humans. Other three of these coronaviruses are known to have caused diseases or infected other animal species, the South China Morning Post reported.
“It is almost certain that there will be future disease emergence and it is highly likely a [coronavirus] disease again,” the study warned. The assessment was based on an analysis of viral characteristics, including population, genetic diversity, host species and any previous history of zoonosis. Zoonosis refers to the transmission of diseases from animals to humans. The study also identified hosts of the pathogen including natural hosts like bats and rodents or possible intermediate hosts including camels, civets, pigs or pangolin.
The study was published in July this year in the English journal Emerging Microbes & Infections but only garnered traction on Chinese social media this month. The study comes as Chinese authorities are reportedly attempting to downplay concerns around COVID. A scientist from China’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told the publication on condition of anonymity that Chinese authorities are downplaying COVID-19 and some cities have stopped giving infection data.
Shi Zhengli’s team also laid down quick and sensitive testing tools that can be utilised for actively monitoring these high-risk viruses. The CDC scientist told the publication that countries can speed up the process of testing and developing vaccines in future public health crisis when armed with such knowledge. “Just like we need a mushroom textbook to avoid eating noxious mushrooms, it’s necessary to establish such tools for pathogens,” the scientist said.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been seen as suspicious since former US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that COVID-19 was started in a Chinese lab. Trump had also accused the World Health Organisation (WHO) of “colluding” with China to cover up the initial outbreak, citing the health agency’s public praise for China.
A declassified US intelligence report has, however, suggested that there is no evidence to suggest that the coronavirus was created in the Wuhan research lab. The report further noted that there is no information available to back claims that three scientists at the lab were some of the first people to be infected with COVID-19 and may have created the virus.
It, however, stated that some Wuhan research lab scientists had done genetic engineering of coronaviruses similar to COVID-19. But the United States “has no information” indicating they had done such work on the specific Covid-19 virus, known as Sars-CoV-2, or on any “close progenitor, or a backbone virus that is closely related enough to have been the source of the pandemic”, it said.
Also Read: Scientists sound alarm over mutating avian flu virus in China, raising pandemic concerns