"Chinese Wuhan Institute Researcher Treated for COVID-19-like Symptoms Before Pandemic"

"Three Researchers Showed Similar Symptoms in November 2019"
'Wuhan Origin Theory' Expected to Resurface...China Responsibility Debate Likely to Grow

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. media reported that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China were treated for symptoms similar to COVID-19 in November 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. There are expectations that the controversy over the 'Wuhan origin theory' of COVID-19, which has been raised by the U.S. and the international community, will be reignited.

On the 23rd (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) exclusively reported, citing a confidential U.S. government intelligence report, that "three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were treated in hospital for symptoms similar to COVID-19, including high fever, in November 2019." Previously, the first official COVID-19 patient in China was reported on December 8. WSJ emphasized that if this suspicion is proven true, it could serve as significant evidence supporting the so-called 'Wuhan origin theory,' indicating that Chinese authorities were aware of the risks before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suspicion that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology showed symptoms similar to COVID-19 before the pandemic was previously raised by the U.S. Department of State. In a report published on January 15 of this year, just before the transition from the Donald Trump administration to the Joe Biden administration, the U.S. Department of State stated, "There is reason to believe that researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were sick in the fall of 2019 with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 and seasonal illnesses before the first confirmed COVID-19 case emerged."

Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted an on-site investigation in Wuhan, China, the initial outbreak location, to trace the origin of COVID-19 but achieved no significant results. In February, Peter Ben Embarek, head of the WHO COVID-19 origin investigation team, stated at a press conference held in Wuhan, China, "We obtained new information through the investigation in Wuhan, but it did not fundamentally change our understanding of COVID-19."

However, Western countries, led by the U.S., strongly raise the Wuhan origin theory, arguing that it is difficult to expect a proper investigation from the current pro-China WHO. WSJ reported that if the U.S. intelligence information is confirmed to be true, the Wuhan Institute of Virology is likely to once again become the center of global controversy. However, since the Chinese government continues to refuse information disclosure and denies entry to international investigation teams, it is expected that there will be limitations in confirming the origin of COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.