大象传媒

Cover-ups, coincidences, and conspiracy theories: where did Covid come from?

John Sudworth was the 大象传媒鈥檚 China correspondent when an unexplained pneumonia started worrying Wuhan doctors in December 2019. Since then, he鈥檚 been investigating the origin of the virus that would turn into a devastating global pandemic.

From the beginning, there have been claims of certainty. Many scientists say the virus that causes Covid came from nature - probably carried from bats to other animals, and then to humans in a Wuhan market.

But an alternative possibility - that it leaked from a laboratory - has refused to go away. And other scientists claim there鈥檚 uncertainty. For them, the mystery of Covid鈥檚 origin remains unsolved.

So, where did Covid come from? For every one of the millions of lives lost, for every long sufferer, for the pain, the isolation, and the incalculable economic cost, the answer matters. It might also help us prevent another - maybe even worse - pandemic.

But it鈥檚 a debate that鈥檚 become politicised, toxic, and a bit crazy.

The series begins on Tuesday 30 May, 2023.

Presenter: John Sudworth
Series Producer: Simon Maybin
Editor: Richard Vadon
Commissioning Editor: Dan Clarke

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