US: COVID-19 'China Origin Theory' Cannot Be Determined Solely by Wuhan Lab Staff Hospitalization

Wuhan Institute, China
[Photo by Weibo]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] U.S. intelligence authorities have concluded that they cannot determine a connection between the origin of the COVID-19 virus and researchers at the Wuhan Institute in China. However, they pointed out that cooperation from China is necessary to reach a definitive conclusion.

On the 29th (local time), CNN reported that the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) released the full review report from U.S. intelligence agencies regarding the origin of COVID-19.

This report was prepared after U.S. intelligence agencies reinvestigated the origin of COVID-19 for 90 days under the direction of President Joe Biden, and it is the full version of the previously released two-page summary on August 2.

The main content of the report is consistent with the already disclosed summary. Intelligence agencies remain divided without reaching a definitive conclusion about the origin of COVID-19.

However, the full report evaluates that the information about three employees of the Wuhan Institute in China requiring hospital treatment for respiratory illnesses in November 2019 does not clarify the origin of COVID-19. Even if their hospitalization is confirmed, hospitalization alone cannot determine whether it was due to COVID-19 infection.

Additionally, the hypothesis that certain genetic features of COVID-19 prove that the virus was created in a laboratory was also rejected. Although there were claims that the 'furin cleavage site' in the virus's spike protein was a product of genetic engineering, such sites also exist in naturally occurring viruses.

Nevertheless, opinions among U.S. intelligence authorities continue to diverge regarding the origin of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the report emphasized that cooperation from China is necessary to reach a conclusion about the origin of COVID-19. It also pointed out that China still resists sharing information, blames other countries including the U.S., and obstructs global investigations.