US Sees Resurgence of COVID-19 'China Origin Theory'... White House Calls for Transparent Investigation

"Evidence Confirming Natural Occurrence Not Yet Found"
Origins of SARS and MERS Both Identified Around One Year Before Major Outbreaks

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The controversy over the "China origin theory" has reignited following media reports of a confidential U.S. government report strongly suggesting that COVID-19 may have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Experts in the U.S. generally note that the origin of a virus is usually identified about a year after a pandemic begins, but in the case of COVID-19, no conclusive evidence has yet been found, raising the possibility that it did not arise naturally. The White House stated that it cannot confirm the confidential U.S. government report but reiterated that the World Health Organization (WHO) must conduct a transparent and accurate investigation.

According to foreign media including CNN on the 24th (local time), White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press briefing that "the confidential U.S. government report related to the origin of COVID-19 mentioned by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cannot be confirmed, and more information is needed," adding, "We hope the World Health Organization (WHO) will launch a transparent investigation into the origin of COVID-19."

The controversial confidential U.S. government report was revealed through a WSJ report the previous day, which cited the report stating that "three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were hospitalized in November 2019, before the pandemic, with symptoms similar to COVID-19." Following this, the "China origin theory" controversy regarding COVID-19 in the U.S. reignited and reportedly spread rapidly.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and known as the top infectious disease authority in the U.S., was also reported to have recently stated that he is not confident about the natural origin possibility of COVID-19. According to the U.S. political media outlet The Hill, Fauci appeared at the fact-checking event "United Fact of America" on the 11th and responded "Actually, no" to the host's question, "Are you still confident that COVID-19 arose naturally?"

Fauci said, "I am not confident about that. I think we need to keep investigating what happened in China until we find out, as far as our capabilities allow." He added, "Clearly, those who have investigated say it emerged from an animal source and then infected humans. But it could have been something else, and we need to find that out."

Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), also appeared on CNBC on the 24th and supported the China origin theory, saying, "There is increasing circumstantial evidence that COVID-19 leaked from a virus lab in Wuhan, China." He pointed out, "A year ago, it seemed more plausible that COVID-19 arose naturally through animals. However, even after a year into the pandemic, since the source animal has not been identified, the hypothesis that it did not arise naturally is gaining traction."

Former Commissioner Gottlieb explained, "In the case of other coronaviruses like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) or MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), the animals from which the diseases originated were identified by this point after the outbreaks. But for COVID-19, no conclusive evidence has been found to prove it originated from animals," adding that the natural origin theory is losing ground even in academic circles.

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