When the entire world was reeling under Covid-19, which caused at least 7.1 million deaths and affected over 30 million people globally, only one question was on everyone’s mind: What is the origin of the virus? The first alarm bell rang when a Chinese virologist, Dr Li Meng Yan, made a stunning claim – that China manufactured and released the virus into the world.
Dr Yan based her arguments on the evidence that she sourced, and she eventually gained fame for backing the lab theory. The scientist, who fled to the United States, has been hiding since 2020.
Today, she has severed all ties with her husband, Dr Ranawaka Perera, also a virologist, and her parents. Now, she claims that the Chinese government is using her family to lure her back so that they can “erase the truth”, according to a report in The New York Times (NYT).
This is her story.
Li Meng Yan grew up in the port city of Qingdao in eastern China. Her grandfather, a doctor, inspired her, and she decided to pursue medicine. At first, she wanted to be an ophthalmologist, but later became interested in research.
She specialised in virology and immunology at the Hong Kong School of Public Health and took up a postdoctoral role in stem cell research at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
Yan’s interests include investigating infectious diseases and inflammation via different animal models. Her research focused on studying and analysing universal influenza...
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