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Comment by Kathrin Summermatter

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Bern biosafety center director
We still do not know for certain where SARS-CoV-2 comes from, but much points to an animal origin. We came to this assessment by evaluating scientific studies that, for example, made genetic comparisons with coronaviruses from animals. We also rely on the analysis of early infection cases and on conversations with experts. Alternative hypotheses such as a lab origin were also examined. Taken together, these different sources yield the overall picture that SARS-CoV-2 most likely jumped from animals to humans.
AI Verified source (Apr 7, 2026)
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AI Verified The quote is authentic. On the University of Bern interview page dated 07 April 2026, the passage appears as Kathrin Summermatter’s answer: the German source URL contains the original text beginning “Wir wissen weiterhin nicht sicher, woher SARS-CoV-2 stammt ...” and ending that it “höchstwahrscheinlich vom Tier auf den Menschen übergesprungen ist.” The university’s official English version contains the same statement in closely matching wording, so the submitted English text is a faithful translation and is correctly attributed to Kathrin Summermatter. ([uniaktuell.unibe.ch](https://www.uniaktuell.unibe.ch/2026/die_naechste_pandemie_kommt_hoffentlich_nicht_aus_einem_berner_labor/index_ger.html)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago
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