The unresolved question on COVID-19 virus origin: The three cards game?

Authors :: Borsetti A
Scarpa F
Maruotti A
Divino F
Ceccarelli G
Giovanetti M
Ciccozzi M
Source :: Journal of medical virology [J Med Virol] 2022 Apr; Vol. 94 (4), pp. 1257-1260. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 19.
Publication Year :: 2022
Abstract: The ongoing discussion about the real origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) feeds acrimonious debates. Where did SARS-CoV-2 come from? Was SARS-CoV-2 transmitted in the wild from an animal to a person before exploding in Wuhan or was it an engineered virus that escaped from research or a laboratory in Wuhan? Right now, we still don't know enough whether SARS-CoV-2 is human-made or not, and lab-leak theories remain essentially speculative. Many recent studies have pointed out several plausible scenarios. Anyhow, currently, even if suspicions by some about the possibility of lab-leak hypothesis still remain, the consensus view is that the pandemic probably started from a natural source and, to determine the real origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, further research is needed.<br /> (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)