Nearly one million people have died since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. [AFP]
A Chinese virologist claims coronavirus was created in lab in Wuhan - and has vowed to publish proof that backs up her allegations.
Dr Li Meng-Yan, a researcher at the Hong Kong School of Public Health, had previously accused Beijing of covering up the outbreak in Wuhan.
The whistleblower says she was among the first people in China to study the pneumonia-like illness after it emerged in eastern China late last year.
But as cases appeared rose exponentially, she was told to "keep silent and be careful".
"'We will get in trouble and we'll be disappeared'," her supervisor reportedly said.
Appearing on ITV's Loose Women yesterday, Dr Li said she has evidence that the deadly virus was manmade.
She explained: "The genome sequence is like a human fingerprint.
"Based on this you can identify these things.
"I will [use this] evidence to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the ones who made it.
"Anyone, even if you have no biology knowledge, will be able to read it, and check and identify and verify it yourself."
Dr Li fled to the US from Hong Kong earlier this year alleging that Beijing had attempted to silence her.
She previously claimed that the virus, which has killed an estimated 913,290 people worldwide, came from a People's Liberation Army (PLA) facility.
During her research, she claims, she traced the outbreak to the PLA, Taiwan News reports.
But according to Li, Chinese authorities attempted to discredit her even before she fled the country.
"They deleted all my information and also they told people to spread rumours about me," she said.
"That I'm a liar, I don't know anything, I just killed a hamster in the lab.
"They will try to control my family and friends and then suddenly I don't exist."
Officials in China have strenuously denied the allegations made by Li and say that the WHO has stated that virus was not manmade
Scientists who have studied the genetic sequence have said that the virus most likely developed in bats before jumping to human.