Yuan Zhiming, a researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Hubei province, said that the institute had not come in contact with, preserved or researched the novel coronavirus before Dec 30, 2019.

Dismissing the claim that three workers at the institute were infected with the disease in November 2019, Yuan said those spreading the accusation had never provided any names of the alleged researchers. "The claim has been created out of thin air," he said.