Two years after the known human case of COVID-19, the mystery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains unresolved. Did the virus emerge from an animal in nature, or could it have accidentally leaked from a research lab in Wuhan, China? Shockingly, the world appears to be no closer to knowing the crucial answer.
In this first of two episodes, we get a brief explanation of the growing controversy from our co-host, Jim Meigs, who has written about allegations of a scientific cover-up. Molecular biologist Alina Chan, a postdoctoral fellow in a gene therapy lab at the Broad Institute, is our interview guest.
Dr. Chan first became widely known last year for suggesting that COVID-19 could have escaped from a laboratory. Her early research was called a \"conspiracy theory\" by leading scientists and mainstream media journalists. But in recent months, expert views of this mystery have decisively changed.
Alina Chan and British science writer Matt Ridley — a past guest on How Do We Fix It? — are the co-authors of the new book, \"Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19.\"
Our next episode will include part two of our interview with Alina Chan. We believe that finding the answer to how this virus first spread will be a vital part of preventing the next pandemic.