we still do not have proof that they created the virus or that there were labs built for that purpose.
Steve, to my knowledge I confirm that as far as I know there is no evidence of the origin of SARS-COV2 so far.
I'll try and collect more recent data, since I archived this topic a while ago. Since it has become enmeshed with political agendas, bias may heavily influence opinions.
My conclusion was that it is probably a virus modified in the Wuhan laboratory (
please note that Wuhan is the same city where the virus started to spread out) and accidentally released in the outside environment.
The behavior of the Chinese government strongly suggests that. Why to dismantle the lab immediately, to delete all records, to shut all down, to prevent access to the places? Please note that the records of the research there might have been very useful in the development of vaccines and other countermeasures.
The zoonotic idea is a possibility, but many reasonings exist in favour of it and against it. Nothing proven.
My conclusive concept is that there is an overwhelmingly high likelihood that the virus was accidentally released from the Wuhan lab, where
research on Gain of Function of coronaviruses was being led. The Chinese government, like it is apt to a tyranny, never admitted that and apparently jailed or killed all the lab technicians who suggested otherwise.
It is a very probable, but not a sure conclusion, based on the available facts we know so far.
However, what is proven is that the Wuhan lab was one of the very few places in the world where GOF (gain of function) experiments were being led
and the pandemic started from that same place. Gain of function means that some capabilities are artificially added to existing viruses, to make them more virulent and so prevent a possible natural mutation with the same functions. Very dangerous projects, that may turn out to be suicidal, as it unfortunately happened, probably.
Since this project was in part based on USA fundings , there have been strong interests to influence the public opinion in favour of the zoonotic hypothesis, so that no one could blame the disaster on the US, whoever has been to release those funds (republicans or democrats, they simply botched it big time).
