Understanding the Origins of Viruses

The analysis of lab leak theories regarding COVID highlights that the initial virus is essential for any synthetic creation premise, yet lacks supporting evidence. The theories reference multiple viruses, but the significant points are the presence of the virus in Wuhan and the unique furin cleavage site. This site, which hasn’t been observed in the specific family of sarbecoviruses, has been noted in other coronaviruses. While natural evolution can lead to the presence of such sites in various coronaviruses, it remains absent in bat viruses due to their adaptation as intestinal rather than respiratory viruses. Thus, the evolutionary benefits of furin cleavage sites are not aligned with bat virus characteristics.