A Chinese virologist says the coronavirus pandemic is "the tip of the iceberg" and international cooperation is vital for the fight against further viruses.
Shi Zhengli leads the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is at the centre of the COVID-19 origin controversy.
She is known as China's "bat woman" for her expeditions into bat caves in search of zoological viruses over the past decade.
Shi told Chinese state media CGTN on Tuesday she believes the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe is unlikely to be the only virus of its kind.
"If we want to prevent human beings from suffering from the next infectious disease outbreak we must go in advance to learn of these unknown viruses," she said.
"If we don't study them there will possibly be another outbreak."
She says it is vital governments and scientists work together across the globe to fight against coming infections.
"I think now that science has been linked to politics and it's very regrettable, I believe scientists around the world don't like to see this. Infectious disease research must be open and transparent.
"International cooperation can provide us with good technical support for these new infectious diseases, which serves all of mankind."
Shi told Scientific American the stories coming from people such as US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the virus came from her lab are "distressing". However, she reiterated it was vital not to allow politics to divide science.
"The mission must go on," she said.
"What we have uncovered is just the tip of an iceberg.
"Bat-borne coronaviruses will cause more outbreaks. We must find them before they find us."
