ArticleBioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology2022
The SARS-CoV-2 origin dilemma: Zoonotic transfer or laboratory leak?
Article in BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prognostic Implications of Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum in COVID-19 Pneumonia: A Cross-Sectional Analysis.The open respiratory medicine journal · 2026Article
- Development of Effective Medical Countermeasures Against the Main Biowarfare Agents: The Importance of Antibodies.Microorganisms · 2024Review
- Immunological Responses of Arsenicum album 30CH to Combat COVID-19: Protocol for a Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala.JMIR research protocols · 2023Article
- An updated review of the scientific literature on the origin of SARS-CoV-2.Environmental research · 2022Review
- The SARS-CoV-2 origin dilemma: Zoonotic transfer or laboratory leak?BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for millions of deaths worldwide yet its origin remains unclear. Two potential scenarios of how infection of humans initially occurred include zoonotic transfer from wild animals and a leak of the pathogen from a research laboratory. The Wuhan wet markets where wild animals are sold represent a strong scenario for zoonotic transfer. However, isolation of SARS-CoV-2 or its immediate predecessor from wild animals in their natural environment has yet to be documented. Due to incomplete evidence for a zoonotic origin, a laboratory origin is plausible. The Wuhan Institute of Virology is at the epicenter of the pandemic and their work has included manipulation of wild-type coronavirus to enable infection of human cells. Although stronger evidence supports the zoonotic transfer, inconclusive reports maintain the laboratory leak hypothesis alive. It is imperative to reach a factual conclusion to prevent future pandemics.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.