Chinese top virologist Shi Zhengli, also known as “Batwoman” for her work on bat coronavirus research, has recently published a research article in which she warns that a future outbreak of coronavirus is “highly likely”. Ms. Shi is the director of the Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Center at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and her team has been conducting risky viral research on bat coronaviruses and cross-species infections for years. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has been suspected of having a virus lab leak accident, which caused the first COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019 and led to the global pandemic.
In her research paper titled “Assessment and sero-diagnosis for coronaviruses with risk of human spillover,” published in July, Ms. Shi stated that her team has found as many as 40 coronaviruses that can infect humans, half of which are considered “high risk” of causing human outbreaks. They have identified six types of coronavirus that can infect humans and cause illness, and three types that can be transmitted to other animals after causing illness in humans.
Ms. Shi and her colleagues have warned that future disease emergence is almost certain, with a high likelihood of another outbreak caused by a coronavirus. They emphasize the importance of early preparation for viruses with a risk of spillover to prevent future outbreaks like SARS, MERS, and COVID-19.
Ms. Shi and the Wuhan Institute of Virology have been at the center of controversies and global investigations regarding the origin of the COVID-19 disease. The U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has requested the Chinese regime to make Ms. Shi and four others available for interviews related to the origins of COVID-19. Ms. Shi’s selection for the Chinese Academy of Sciences also caused controversy, with questions raised about her role in causing the pandemic.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to provide full access to a second group of WHO experts to restart the virus origin tracing investigation. However, the CCP has not responded to these requests.
Given the rising COVID-19 infection numbers and continued virus mutations worldwide, Ms. Shi’s warning of a future outbreak has sparked concerns. Taiwan’s former deputy director of health believes that Ms. Shi’s prediction is accurate based on her firsthand knowledge, while a Chinese commentator points out the recent surges in COVID-19 cases in mainland China.
Regarding the next outbreak, the commentator suggests that the CCP needs to open all virus libraries owned by the Wuhan Institute of Virology to WHO experts for research. However, it is unlikely that the CCP will allow further research or provide more information, as they have destroyed valuable materials and specimens in the past.
Ms. Shi has recently published another research article titled “Characterization of a mouse-adapted strain of bat severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus,” in which she describes the creation of a new dangerous virus strain through gain of function research. This research increases the risk of human infections and makes the new strain more pathogenic.
In conclusion, Shi Zhengli’s warning of a future coronavirus outbreak has attracted attention and raised concerns, particularly in light of the ongoing pandemic. The Wuhan Institute of Virology and Ms. Shi herself have been at the center of controversies and investigations surrounding the origin of COVID-19.