A scientist researching the first cases of Covid-19 managed the incredible feat of unlocking the disease’s genetic code – but has warned the world is in a race to prevent any future outbreaks.
For a crucial seven-day period, China held back information about the growing crisis from the rest of the world as more Chinese started to die in Wuhan, Dr Shi Zhengli alleges.
She claims she was stopped from reporting her findings, prompting fears of a massive cover-up by Chinese authorities. With 16 years of virology experience, Dr Zhengli has been called one of the most renowned experts on the coronavirus.
She sequenced the disease in its earliest stages, finding it to be similar to the deadly SARS virus that had blighted China in the early 2000s.