Scientists believe the coronavirus has leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, but fear that the debate could damage "international harmony"

 

 Leading British and American scientists believe that the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from the laboratory in Wuhan, but fear that further debate will harm science in China and "international harmony", writes the British newspaper The Telegraph, citing revealed emails.

An email from Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust, on 2 February 2020 stated that the "likely explanation" was that Covid-19 had rapidly developed from the Sars-like virus into human tissue in a low-security laboratory.

An email to Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Francis Collins of the US National Institutes of Health said that such an evolution may have "accidentally created a virus prepared for rapid transmission among humans."

 But a leading scientist told Sir Jeremy that "further debate would do unnecessary harm to science in general and to science in China in particular." Dr Collins, a former director of the US National Institutes of Health, warned that this could damage "international harmony".

Viscount Ridley, co-author of Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid, said: "These emails show a deplorable lack of openness and transparency among Western scholars, who seem to have been more interested in rejecting a hypothesis they find very plausible for political reasons."

In the emails, Sir Jeremy said that other scientists also believed that the virus could not have developed naturally. One such scientist is Professor Mike Farzan of Scripps Research, the expert who discovered how the original Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus binds to human cells. Scientists were particularly concerned about some of Covid-19, part of the thorn protein, which helps it enter cells and make it so contagious to humans.

Summarizing Professor Farzan's concerns in an e-mail, Sir Jeremy said: "He is worried about a place in the thorn protein and it is difficult for him to (explain) this as an event outside the laboratory, although there are possible ways (this can happen) in nature, but they are very unlikely.

The new details came to light after members of the US Republican Chamber of Commerce's oversight committee gained access to the documents after complaining that their contents had been heavily edited when released on requests for freedom of information.

 The emails were sent in response to a teleconference between 12 scientists, including Sir Patrick Valance, chief scientific adviser to the British government, on 1 February.

The emails show that by February 2, 2020, scientists are already trying to stop the debate over the leak theory.

An e-mail from Dr. Ron Fucci to Sir Jeremy said: "Further debate on such allegations will unnecessarily distract senior researchers from their active responsibilities and cause unnecessary harm to science in general and science in China in particular."

 Dr Collins, former director of the UK's National Institutes of Health, responded to Sir Jeremy, saying: "I share your view that experts need to be convened quickly in a credible framework or that conspiracy voices will quickly begin to dominate, causing great potential harm to science and international harmony. "

James Comer, the Republican congressman who provided the unedited emails, said it showed that experts like Dr. Fauci had taken the theory of leaks from the Wuhan laboratory "much more seriously" than previously thought.