Was coronavirus made in a lab? Claim met with skepticism

French Nobel laureate adds fuel to fire in Wuhan origin debate

20200424N SARS-CoV-2

The spike proteins on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are not optimal for binding to receptors on human cells, researchers say. © AP

KIYOSHI ANDO, Nikkei senior staff writer

TOKYO -- One of the Nobel laureates responsible for discovering HIV has turned heads with a recent claim that the novel coronavirus was created by scientists, possibly in the process of seeking an AIDS vaccine.

While support for Luc Montagnier's view is almost nonexistent in the scientific community, its existence underscores how little the world knows about the pathogen behind the global pandemic.

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