The laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in the city of Wuhan is still suspected by some parties as the place of manufacture or leakage of the Corona virus. However, the Wuhan laboratory is included in the list of institutions deemed worthy of the award.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced the science award nominees, one each to WIV and its director, Shi Zhengli and deputy director Yuan Zhimming, for their outstanding contributions to science.
Shi Zhengli was praised for his performance in quickly identifying the pathogen of COVID-19, completing gene sequencing, virus isolation and other studies. Meanwhile, Yuan is said to have contributed in modeling the Corona virus infection.
The Global Times media, which is the mouthpiece of the Chinese government, said the nomination for the Wuhan laboratory award coincides with a new attack from western politicians and their media, that the Wuhan laboratory is suspected of being the cause of the Corona virus.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian even called the team at the Wuhan lab worthy of a Nobel prize. "They should be given the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their research on COVID-19 and not criticized," he said.
As reported, although the WHO has concluded in its research in China that it is unlikely that the Corona virus originated from a Wuhan laboratory, countries such as the United States and Britain are not satisfied. They felt that something was being covered up and at the same time presented some clues that Corona was leaked or made in a Wuhan laboratory.
Long silent, Shi Zhengli, director of the Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) recently commented on this development. The woman who is also called the bat woman because she is a bat expert has denied all the allegations.
To the New York Times, Shi stated that at first he did not want to speak directly to the media because of his institution's policy. But he said he was disappointed and wanted to defend the lab where he worked.
"How can I open evidence for something that doesn't exist?" he said.
"I don't know why the world has come here, continuously pouring evil on innocent scientists," he added in a brief description of the accusations at the Wuhan laboratory.
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