Claim
Coronavirus may have been genetically engineered for “efficient spreading in the human population,” a bombshell new study has claimed.
Conclusion
This is wrong and the study does not claim the new coronavirus has been genetically engineered. It simply compares the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 with other coronaviruses, and suggests a reason why it might be spreading relatively efficiently.
Following Full Facts intervention the Daily Express have now amended their article but persist in their claim that it may be a manufactured virus.
Full Fact state:
This week the Daily Express claimed a study found the new coronavirus may have been genetically engineered to spread in the human population. Another Daily Express article about the new coronavirus, published on 11 March, repeated the claim that the study “suggested Covid-19 has been tampered with”.
This is incorrect. A new study has not claimed that the virus that causes Covid-19 may have been genetically engineered to spread more efficiently among humans. The Daily Express was wrong to report to this, and a number of virology experts have heavily criticised its claim.
It is a question many have been asking given their lack of trust not only in the UK government but in government’s more generally.
With no international leadership and no concerted attempts to stop powerful people lying to us it is a symptom that we should want some reality.
However, at this time of perpetual fake news perhaps we should concern ourselves with how to manage the virus, looking out for each other and then concern ourselves with the blame part when it is all over.
Douglas James
