Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
mBio. 2023 Apr 25;14(2):e0058323. doi: 10.1128/mbio.00583-23. Epub 2023 Mar 28.
When humans experience a new, devastating viral infection such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), significant challenges arise. How should individuals as well as societies respond to the situation? One of the primary questions concerns the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that infected and was transmitted efficiently among humans, resulting in a pandemic. At first glance, the question appears straightforward to answer. However, the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has been the topic of substantial debate primarily because we do not have access to some relevant data. At least two major hypotheses have been suggested: a natural origin through zoonosis followed by sustained human-to-human spread or the introduction of a natural virus into humans from a laboratory source. Here, we summarize the scientific evidence that informs this debate to provide our fellow scientists and the public with the tools to join the discussion in a constructive and informed manner. Our goal is to dissect the evidence to make it more accessible to those interested in this important problem. The engagement of a broad representation of scientists is critical to ensure that the public and policy-makers can draw on relevant expertise in navigating this controversy.
当人类遭遇新型、具有毁灭性的病毒感染，如严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）时，就会面临巨大挑战。个体和社会应该如何应对这种情况？其中一个主要问题涉及感染人类并在人群中有效传播、引发大流行的 SARS-CoV-2 病毒的起源。乍一看，这个问题似乎很容易回答。然而，SARS-CoV-2 的起源一直是激烈争论的主题，主要是因为我们无法获得一些相关数据。至少提出了两种主要假说：通过动物源性病原体传播继而持续人际传播，或者是一种自然病毒从实验室来源传入人类。在此，我们总结了为这场争论提供信息的科学证据，以便为我们的同行科学家和公众提供工具，以建设性和知情的方式参与讨论。我们的目标是剖析这些证据，使其更容易为那些对这个重要问题感兴趣的人所理解。广泛代表性的科学家的参与对于确保公众和决策者能够在应对这场争议时利用相关专业知识至关重要。
