The Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) has been accused by some of being the cause of the leak or even the fabrication of the Corona virus. The Chinese government has repeatedly denied this, as have laboratories. Recently, CGTN as China's national media showed how safe the Wuhan Laboratory is.
The National Biosafety Laboratory at WIV, located in Wuhan, began operations in 2018 as the first BSL-4 stage laboratory in China. The BSL-4 lab has the highest security and examines some of the deadliest viruses in the world.
BSL-4 is also known as laboratory P4, where P stands for pathogen. The higher the number, the more dangerous the pathogens studied. Some of the viruses studied do not even have drugs or vaccines.
Only a few countries have P4 level laboratories. In addition to China, are the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Britain, Germany, Sweden and South Africa.
Yuan Zhiming as the director of WIV claimed that security at the Wuhan Laboratory was very tight. “We have complex systems for electricity, air filters, emergency bathrooms, automation, fire safety and life support systems,” he said.
WIV was established in collaboration with France. “All systems are built to protect the core functions of the laboratory, creating a negative pressure environment in the laboratory to store items in it,” Yuan said.
The air in the laboratory is cleaned through two filters and all materials are constantly sterilized at high temperatures to prevent leakage. While working staff must wear special clothing. For sterilization, they need half an hour to get in and out.
"Without permission, mosquitoes could not even enter the Wuhan lab and none of our researchers were able to bring a drop of water or a piece of paper out of the lab. While some people speculated that we might have brought an experimental animal for sale or the animal escaped, they did not know management and operation of our laboratory, "added Yuan.
China has repeatedly stated that it is impossible for the Corona virus to originate from the Wuhan Laboratory. However, some parties such as the United States government continue to investigate the possibility.
Republican U.S. politician Michael McCaul, for example, says the Corona virus was created in the Laboratory of the Wuhan Institute of Virology. "They play with fire. They manipulate it genetically in the lab," he said.
Previously, Gabriel Gras as one of the scientists overseeing the construction of the Wuhan Laboratory with a high level of security level 4 (BSL-4) stated that the Corona virus theory originating from the Wuhan Laboratory could not be held accountable.
"The theory that the virus came out of the Wuhan Laboratory is unreliable. The laboratory was built under close cooperation between China and France. There is no doubt about compliance with the highest international biosafety standards," the French expert told Chinese state media Xinhua.
Gras, who lives in China, was the construction and commissioning supervisor of the Wuhan Laboratory in 2017. According to him, the construction process is very strict on safety. “It is my duty first to check everything and there is no doubt about the level of security of the facility,” he said.
Tags
NEWS & FACT