Our Look at the Origin of the Coronavirus

In the early days of the pandemic, social media lit up with wild conspiracy theories about the origin of SARS-CoV-2. It wasn’t surprising. Little was known about the novel coronavirus and, as we all know, nature abhors a vacuum.

In the first two months of 2020, we debunked false claims that the coronavirus was stolen from a lab in Canada and then weaponized by China, and we squashed suggestions that it was created by a Harvard professor and two Chinese students who were arrested in unrelated cases. We also refuted the false claim that the coronavirus contains HIV "insertions" that prove it was "man-made."

We repeatedly wrote that there was no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 was created by the Chinese.

Over time, a consensus began to emerge among scientists who study coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-2 was likely a naturally occurring virus that originated in bats, infected another animal or animals and then jumped to humans—a transmission known as "zoonotic transfer."

But following less-than-definitive findings about the origin released by the World Health Organization, a group of 18 scientists published a letter in the journal Science calling for "more investigation" and noting that accidental lab release and a natural zoonotic spillover "both remain viable." Some journalists also argued anew that the virus may have been created at the Wuhan Institute of Virology or accidentally escaped from the lab.

This prompted us to take another look at what is known—and unknown—about how SARS-CoV-2 originated. 

The result is a detailed and authoritative piece written by our science editor, Jessica McDonald, who has a Ph.D. in immunology from Yale University.

"Despite the increased media attention, little has changed on the ground," Jessica writes. "There still is no credible evidence that the virus came from a lab in Wuhan, China, where the pandemic began. At the same time, a natural spillover from an animal to a human—the scenario widely viewed as most likely—has not yet been proven."

While many scientists "remain open to a lab escape of a natural virus ... fewer entertain the notion that SARS-CoV-2 was engineered," she writes. "While this cannot be ruled out entirely, multiple coronavirus experts view this as implausible."

We’ve updated past stories that we have written about the origin of the coronavirus to refer readers to Jessica’s latest story—an important piece that we are proud to offer you.

Read the full story, "The Facts — and Gaps — on the Origin of the Coronavirus."

—Eugene Kiely, director, FactCheck.org

"For the reasons that follow, we conclude that there is uncontroverted evidence that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020."
 

— Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court in an order suspending Rudy Giuliani’s law license

Wrapping Up

Here's what else we've got for you this week:

• "COVID-19 Vaccine-Generated Spike Protein is Safe, Contrary to Viral Claims": Hundreds of millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered safely in the United States in the last six months. There is no evidence to indicate that the spike proteins generated by human cells following vaccination are a toxin or that they circulate in the body and damage tissues, contrary to what a Canadian virus immunologist recently claimed.
   
• "Unsubstantiated Claims Follow Deaths of British and Indian Airline Pilots": Following the deaths of four British Airways pilots and five Air India pilots, social media posts claimed without proof that the pilots died as a result of receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Air India said its pilots died from COVID-19. British Airways said "there is no truth whatsoever in the claims on social media speculating that the four deaths are linked."
   
• "Rudy Giuliani’s Bogus Election Fraud Claims": A New York court suspended former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s law license in that state for making "demonstrably false and misleading statements" about the 2020 presidential election results to the courts and the public at large. We recapped some of those false and misleading claims by Giuliani.
   
• "Misinformation About WHO’s COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance for Children": A World Health Organization advisory group has concluded that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine "is suitable for use by people aged 12 years and above," and is specifically recommending it for children ages 12 to 15 who are at high risk of severe COVID-19. The WHO did not say "stop giving kids the vaxx immediately," as some have claimed online.
   
• "Social Media Posts Mislead on Harris Border Trip": Some popular online posts suggest that Vice President Kamala Harris’ trip to El Paso is "over 1000 miles away" from the "border crisis." It’s true that other areas — including the Rio Grande Valley — are experiencing higher levels of border activity, as critics have noted, but El Paso is a hotspot for illegal immigration.
   
• "Social Media Post Spreads Bogus Claims About Denzel Washington’s Political Leanings": A post circulating on social media falsely claims actor Denzel Washington said he’s "had it" with the Democratic Party’s "lies" and now supports former President Donald Trump. The fictitious quote attributed to Washington originated on a self-described satirical website. A representative for Washington confirmed "this post is a complete fabrication."

• "Artículo distorsiona detalles de investigación post mortem de paciente vacunado": Un controversial bloguero y presentador radial tergiversó las conclusiones de un informe médico al decir que un hombre de 86 años de edad falleció por causa de la vacuna contra el COVID-19. El principal autor del informe dijo que el anciano falleció de neumonía bacteriana y que "no hubo señal alguna de efecto secundario a la vacunación".
   
• "Investigaciones refutan vínculo entre vacunas contra el COVID-19 y la infertilidad masculina": Un nuevo estudio concluyó que la vacuna contra el COVID-19 no impacta  negativamente los niveles de espermatozoides en hombres que la hayan recibido, refutando así sugerencias de que la vacuna afecta la fertilidad masculina. Pero mensajes en las redes sociales propagan la idea falsa de que los hombres vacunados "quedan efectivamente estériles".
   
• "El colapso de un futbolista estrella no estuvo relacionado con la vacuna contra el COVID-19": La estrella del fútbol danés Christian Eriksen se está recuperando bien después de colapsar y sufrir un paro cardíaco durante un partido el 12 de junio. Después del incidente, publicaciones en las redes sociales afirmaron falsamente que había sido vacunado recientemente contra el COVID-19 y sugirieron que eso provocó su colapso. Pero dirigentes del equipo dijeron que Eriksen no ha recibido la vacuna.