Our analyses clearly show that SARS-CoV-2 is not a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus
and
It is so effective at attaching to human cells that the researchers said the spike proteins were the result of natural selection and not genetic engineering.
I think the article just says that the virus did not undergo genetic engineering or gain-of-function research, which is also what Jim says above.
The article says:
and
I think the article just says that the virus did not undergo genetic engineering or gain-of-function research, which is also what Jim says above.
Ah, yes: their headline is very misleading then! It currently reads “The coronavirus did not escape from a lab. Here’s how we know.”
I’ll shoot the editor an email and see if they can correct it.
EDIT: Here’s me complaining about the headline on Twitter.
Genetic engineering is ruled out, but gain-of-function research isn’t.