Coronavirus: Was It Made In a Lab?

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 12.4K Ratings

🗓️ 24 April 2020

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since the outbreak started, we’ve been hearing that this coronavirus came from bats before jumping to humans. But recently, claims that the virus escaped from a lab have been getting a lot of attention. So did it? Is there an evil scientist behind all of this? To find out, we talk to microbiologist Professor Benhur Lee, Christian Stevens, and virologist Dr. Oscar MacLean. Also: FROGS!! UPDATE 4/27/20: An earlier version of this episode played a quote from a politician saying that China has only one biosafety level 4 lab. This is incorrect, and the episode has been updated. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3eWnFNE This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Rose Rimler, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, Sinduja Srinivasan and Laura Morris. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Kirsty Short, Dr. Ximena Bernal, Henry Legett, Dr. Muhamed Amin, and Professor Kristian Andersen. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to Science Versus from Gimlet.
0:04.0	Today on the show, was this coronavirus made in a lab?
0:11.0	Since the early days, we've been hearing that this virus came from bats and jumped to humans.
0:22.0	But another claim has popped up that's getting a lot of attention.
0:26.0	And developing tonight, the US government is looking into the possibility
0:30.0	COVID-19 originated in a Chinese laboratory.
0:33.0	The killer coronavirus probably originated from a laboratory in Wuhan.
0:38.0	A Pew research poll recently found that 30% of Americans believe that this virus was made in a lab and not in nature.
0:47.0	We're looking at it, a lot of people are looking at it, it seems to make sense.
0:51.0	And here's what some people are pointing to as evidence.
0:54.0	You see, early in this pandemic, some news reports were saying that the outbreak took off in this animal market in Wuhan.
1:01.0	But then, Chinese researchers say the first known patient had no exposure to the market.
1:08.0	Adding fuel to the fire, it turns out that some 10 miles away from that market is a high security lab, the Wuhan Institute of Virology,
1:17.0	where scientists study some of the most dangerous viruses around.
1:21.0	This is a laboratory that contained highly contagious materials.
1:28.0	So is it possible that someone cooked up this virus on purpose?
1:34.0	And how could we even know?
1:37.0	Today on the show, the story of how scientists are tracking down the origins of this virus,
1:43.0	delving deep into its genome to look for human fingerprints.
1:48.0	And even if you don't think this virus was made in a lab, stick around for this one, because it's quite the adventure.
1:56.0	Science vs. Coronavirus, escape from the lab, is coming up to stop to the break.
2:05.0	The World of Life
	...

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