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Coronavirus originated from China mine eight years ago, two US scientists claim

WION
New DelhiEdited By: Palki SharmaUpdated: Aug 18, 2020, 07:17 AM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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The two American scientists say samples from the miners were sent to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for testing implying that the coronavirus could have been on China’s radar much before the outbreak in Wuhan. 

Two scientists have uncovered more evidence about the Wuhan virus. They say the virus could be at least eight years old and started spreading from a Chinese mine first.

It is the worst version of the virus which now revealing itself in South-east Asia.

There have been several conspiracy theories being floating around for months, some have claimed it originated from the wet market, other said that it began from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, some even said it is a weapon of biological warfare.

However, the question on the origins of the coronavirus still remain unanswered, however, it may change now as two scientists in America have penned their report shedding new light on the origins of the deadly coronavirus.

The scientists claim to have found evidence that it started inside the Mojiang mineshaft - not eight months back but eight years back.

The Mojiang mine is located in China’s Yunnan province. In 2012, six miners spent 14 days inside the mine removing bat faeces. Later they showed symptoms similar to the Wuhan virus with cough, high fever with shortness of breath, headaches and sore limbs.

Three out of the six miners reportedly died. All this information is part of a Masters thesis from Chinese physician Li Xu. The thesis was translated and studied by Dr Jonathan Latham and Dr Allison Wilson.

Their conclusion is that the virus most likely escaped from a lab and that there have been six documented outbreaks of SARS since 2003.

More claims from this report raise questions on China’s role in the pandemic. The two American scientists say samples from the miners were sent to the Wuhan Institute of Virology for testing implying that the coronavirus could have been on China’s radar much before the outbreak in Wuhan. 

In South-east Asia, two countries have reported more infectious strains - Quezon city in the Philippines has found the G-614 strain which it spreads 1.22 times more than the Wuhan virus.

Malaysia claims to have found the G-614g mutation which is reportedly ten times more infectious than the Wuhan virus.

The virus is mutating into its deadlier versions after months of research, the world has more questions than answers. China must share what it knows about the contagion, the least it can do after exporting the virus to the world.