Chinese scientists have said the virus likely jumped from an animal to humans in a market that sold wildlife. However, the existence of the facility has fuelled conspiracy theories that the germ spread from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, specifically its P4 laboratory, which is equipped to handle dangerous viruses. In an interview with state media published on Saturday, Yuan Zhiming, director of the laboratory, said that "there's no way this virus came from us." When asked if the research suggested the virus could have come from the institute, Yuan said: "I know it's impossible." This week authorities in the city admitted mistakes in counting its death toll and abruptly raised the figure by 50%.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 19, 2020 03:22 UTC