The Wuhan Institute of Virology's research on coronaviruses, including SARS-like viruses, was conducted at lower biosafety levels, potentially exposing researchers to infectious airborne viruses. The lab's reputation as a leading virology lab in China, coupled with their possession of close relatives of the pandemic virus, raises questions about the origins of COVID-19. The unique furin cleavage site in the virus, which greatly enhances infectivity, was not initially highlighted when the virus was published.
