An appeal for an open scientific debate about the proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2
Abstract
One year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 still eludes humanity. Early publications firmly stated that the virus was of natural origin, and the possibility that the virus might have escaped from a lab was discarded in most subsequent publications. However, based on a re-analysis of the initial arguments, highlighted by the current knowledge about the virus, we show that the natural origin is not supported by conclusive arguments, and that a lab origin cannot be formally discarded. We call for an opening of peer-reviewed journals to a rational, evidence-based and prejudice-free evaluation of all the reasonable hypotheses about the virus' origin. We advocate that this debate should take place in the columns of renowned scientific journals, rather than being left to social media and newspapers.
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- May 2021
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.2105.07865
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2105.07865
- Bibcode:
- 2021arXiv210507865V
- Keywords:
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- Quantitative Biology - Other Quantitative Biology;
- Physics - Physics and Society
- E-Print:
- This letter was submitted to The Lancet on January 6, 2021. When the letter was rejected, we asked the editors whether this refusal meant that they consider this scientific evaluation of the alternative hypotheses should not be hosted by scientific journals. The submission was reassessed by the chief editor, who confirmed the decision to reject the letter without peer review