An appeal for an open scientific debate about the proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2

TL;DR

This paper urges the scientific community to openly debate the origins of SARS-CoV-2, emphasizing the need for unbiased, evidence-based discussion in reputable journals rather than social media or newspapers.

Contribution

It critically re-evaluates initial claims about the virus's natural origin and advocates for a transparent, scientific debate on all plausible hypotheses.

Findings

Natural origin not conclusively supported

Lab escape origin cannot be ruled out

Calls for open scientific discussion

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.