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Conspiracy, cover-up or distraction: the lab leak theory is back

Conspiracy, cover-up or distraction: the lab leak theory is back

Scientists are unwilling to rule out the possibility the virus escaped from a Wuhan lab but fear their race to find answers has been hijacked by politics.

Chinese security agents man the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The Biden administration is conducting research to determine whether the institute may have been involved in the release of the coronavirus to the greater public.  AP

Michael SmithHealth editor

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Like the origins of coronavirus itself, the exact moment the Wuhan laboratory leak theory became credible is hard to pinpoint.

The idea that COVID-19 escaped from a laboratory in the central Chinese city at the centre of the global pandemic, once dismissed as a Trumpian conspiracy theory, has gained serious traction in the past six months.

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Michael Smith
Michael SmithHealth editorMichael Smith is the health editor for The Australian Financial Review. He is based in Sydney. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.smith@afr.com

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/asia/conspiracy-cover-up-or-distraction-the-lab-leak-theory-is-back-20210616-p581ld