The spike protein is literally the defining characteristic of subfamily Orthocoronavirinae (coronaviruses). All 7 viruses in that subfamily have a spike protein.
Not saying it didn’t walk out of the lab, just saying that this idea of the spike protein being something new is incorrect.
Is not the location of the spike protein, and function / receptors it attaches to completely new? And wasn't the Chinese researcher (who has gone incommunicado) at the Wuhan Institute of Virology studying gain of function on exactly those spike protein locations?
I'm not a biologist, but have been trying to read all I can on this since this started.