Missing ‘Bat woman’ appears on TV, warns against COVID-19

A leading Chinese virologist known as “Bat Woman” has appeared on a state television in an first interview after months of disappearance and warned that coronavirus is one of the most dangerous viruses, while lamenting the politicization of science in the matter.

The mysterious disappearance of Shi Zhengli Ke, also known as the “Bat Woman” for research on bats and related viruses, led to rumors of a coronavirus emerging from Wuhan’s laboratory.

Xi Zhengli earlier this month on a Chinese social media ‘WeChat’ account denied the ‘rumors’ of leaning towards the West and betraying the country.

In an interview with China’s state-run television CGTN on Tuesday, she indirectly referred to US President Donald Trump’s allegations that the coronavirus was transmitted to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Made, Shi Zhengli heads research on bats.

She said she and a group of other researchers obtained and tested samples of the coronavirus on December 30.

“In a short time, we found out that these samples contained a new type of coronavirus,” she added.

The Chinese researcher said the results of her study were submitted to the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 12.

“After that, we completed an experiment in animals on transgenic mice on February 6, after which we completed the same experiment on monkeys on February 9,” she said.

“I think science is being politicized, which is very unfortunate. Scientists around the world would not want to hear such allegations,” Shi said.

She said she would continue her research because there are many species of bats and other wild animals that can cause the spread of many viruses.

“These are just a few of the viruses we’ve discovered so far. If we want to protect humans from new infectious diseases, we need to know about the unknown viruses in wildlife and warn them in advance,” she said.

China is resisting an investigation by the United States and leaders around the world into the origin of the virus, which was initially said to have originated from a market in Wuhan, located near the Wuhan Institute of virologist.

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