Public fear during the initial stage of a pandemic outbreak was a natural reaction. But as the public learned more about the situation, rumors gradually dissipated, according to Yuan Zhiming, researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the director of Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, during an exclusive interview with CGTN. He was responding to a question on how the institute reacted toward conspiracy theories. He also stressed that the labs had been operating legally and safely with no evidence of any leak or human infection.