Hong Kong's leading microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung talks during a press conference in Hong Kong on July 31, 2015. (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

HONG KONG - Hong Kong's leading microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung has withdrawn a controversial newspaper article he co-authored on the origin and cause of the novel coronavirus, saying he has always committed to the scientific pursuit of the truth but with too little regard for politics.

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Yuen co-wrote the essay with David Christopher Lung, Honorary Assistant Professor of the University of Hong Kong. The article which blames the habits of Chinese people for the epidemic outbreak has stirred a storm of controversy since it was published in the commentary section of Chinese-language daily newspaper, Ming Pao.

Co-authors Yuen Kwok-yung and David Lung said the inappropriate references and wordings in the article weren't their original intention and apologized for any misunderstanding caused by the contents

The two writers stated in the now-withdrawn article that it is “acceptable” to call the epidemic “Wuhan coronavirus” and “Wuhan pneumonia” in daily communication and media reports while saying that the virus originated from the Chinese “inferior culture of eating wild animals.”

In a statement which was also published on Ming Pao on Wednesday night, Yuen and Lung said the inappropriate references and wordings in the article were not their original intention. They expressed the hope that they could avoid politics and reserve some room for scientific research.

They also stressed that the article, which calls for changes of people’s habits, has nothing to do with politics. They apologized for any misunderstanding caused by the contents.

Since 2015, the World Health Organization has called on people to avoid naming infectious diseases after geographic locations. This is to minimize unnecessary negative effects to the places.

In an interview with Shenzhen TV on Wednesday after the article was published, Yuen called on people to look at each country's handling of the epidemic in an objective way.

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China has its own problems amid the epidemic, such as eating wild animals and the negligence in keeping food markets clean. Some foreign countries also have their own problems, especially the lack of alertness to the danger of the coronavirus outbreak, Yuen said.

Yuen noted that the United States, United Kingdom, and some Europe countries haven’t paid enough attention to the epidemic outbreak in China, and that oversight has exacted a heavy toll on them.

He urged every country to admit its defects in handling the coronavirus epidemic and learn from each other’s experience. He also expressed confidence that China could effectively contain the epidemic and reduce fatalities caused by it.