The genetic sequences on the surface of the coronavirus indicate that it is not naturally occurring, but was probably developed by Chinese and American scientists. This is the opinion of the Norwegian vaccine scientist Birger Sørensen. He was supported by the former head of British intelligence.
In a new study published in the respected Quarterly Review of Biophysics, Sørensen and British professor Angus Dalgleish argue that the so-called coronavirus spike protein contains sequences that look like they were artificially placed there.
Also, two scientists argue that the virus has practically not mutated since it began to spread among humans, which means that it was fully adapted to humans in advance. Sørensen says this is very unusual for viruses that cross the species barrier.
Sørensen argues that the virus has properties that are very different from those of the SARS virus and have never been found in nature before.
“When we describe a virus technically, we can certainly see that it was not the result of natural evolution. It was produced by the Americans and the Chinese in the course of their research on the so-called “acquisition of function mutations.” This kind of work is being done all over the world. Nobody talks about it, but in advanced laboratories it is constantly being done,”Sørensen said.
China and the US have been collaborating on coronavirus research for many years. During experiments to study mutations with the acquisition of function, scientists artificially increase the infectiousness of the virus to make it easier to use in scientific experiments. Such modified viruses are called "chimeras".
British intelligence chief: "Accident in the laboratory"
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In recent days, Sørensen's find has sparked fierce debate in the British press.
Richard Dearlove, former head of British intelligence for MI6 from 1999 to 2004, told the Telegraph that the work of the two scientists suggests that the pandemic that has paralyzed the world may have originated in a laboratory.
“I think it all started with an accident. And so the question arises whether China will take responsibility for it and whether it will pay compensation. I think all countries will have to reconsider their attitude towards China and its leadership,”said Dirlav.
True, the representative of Downing Street, in response to Dirllav's statement, said that today there is no evidence of the artificial origin of the virus.
For several months now, someone has been claiming from time to time that the virus could have begun to spread as a result of a leak from the laboratory of the Virology Institute in Wuhan - the most advanced virology laboratory in China.
Such statements are categorically denied by the leadership of the institute, which claims that the laboratory has never worked with viruses resembling SARS-CoV-2.
“This is pure invention. Our institute first conducted clinical trials of this virus on December 30,”the head of the institute, Wang Yan, told the Chinese state TV channel CGTN.
China has yet to identify patient zero or the exact location of the outbreak. The Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted examinations of the first infected in the Wuhan fish market area, and they showed that the infection did not originate there.
According to Sørensen, however, it was Chinese scientists who first pointed to the modified sequences on the surface of the virus. However, he argues, in recent months, China has closed all such studies.
“These added sequences would never have been published. If it were today, nothing would have happened. The Chinese have made a big mistake. The sequences added to the virus have the functionality we describe. We explain why they are essential. But the Chinese were the first to point them out,”says Sørensen.
In his work, Sørensen thanks Research Director John Fredrik Moxnes of the Norwegian Institute for Defense Research for "invaluable assistance" in the work.
Moxnes said he used his computing power knowledge to partner with Sørensen and his vaccine development firm Immunor.
“Modern vaccine development has a lot to do with computing power and biotechnology, and it's important that Norway is involved,” he told NRK.
Doubts potential vaccines will work
Sørensen believes that potential vaccines currently available are likely to have side effects, since they target the virus's so-called spike protein, and 80% of its genetic material closely resembles that of a human protein.
“78.4% of the epitopes of the spine protein are identical to ours, human. As a result, there is a 78.4 percent chance that vaccines targeting this protein will have some kind of side effects.”
Trials of Dengue fever and HIV vaccines have shown that there is a significant risk that the vaccine could cause even more serious illness through a process called antibody-dependent aggravation of infection (AMI).
Sørensen is currently working on a potential vaccine of his own, called Biovacc-19. It targets 20% of the virus' genetic material that does not match human.
However, Norway has shown little interest in funding vaccine experiments.
“We do not participate in this big race and do not strive to finish first. But we have created a potential vaccine that is fundamentally different from everyone else. And the best drugs will be funded and promoted anyway,”Sørensen says.
Peter Svaar