"Claim of Virus Leak During Mutation Research"
Origin of COVID-19 Sparks Political Battle
The White House has posted a claim on its official website asserting that the COVID-19 virus was artificially created in a Chinese laboratory.
On the 18th (local time), local media including the Washington Post (WP) reported that the White House published content on its website under the title "Laboratory Leak," stating that the COVID-19 virus was created in a Chinese laboratory.
The White House asserted that the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic did not originate from transmission between wild animals and humans, and instead identified the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China as the source of the virus leak. According to the claim, WIV researchers were studying virus mutations, and some of its researchers fell ill with a virus similar to COVID-19 as early as the fall of 2019?several months before the virus was detected at animal markets in Wuhan.
This is identical to the findings of a report released last year by the House Oversight Committee, led by the Republican Party. In fact, the White House included a link on its website allowing users to download the House report at that time.
However, various U.S. agencies have presented differing analyses regarding the origin of COVID-19. Since 2021, U.S. intelligence agencies have been investigating the origins of COVID-19 under the directive of former President Biden. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Energy concluded that the virus spread as a result of dangerous virus research conducted in Wuhan, China. In contrast, other intelligence agencies, such as the National Intelligence Council (NIC), have supported the natural origin theory, stating that the virus was transmitted from wild animals to humans.
This conflict has escalated into a political battle. In particular, President Trump retaliated against Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), who advocated the natural origin theory, by withdrawing his security detail. President Trump has actively promoted the laboratory leak theory since his first term, referring to COVID-19 as the "China virus." However, the Democratic Party has countered that the claim the COVID-19 virus was artificially created is unscientific. They also viewed the White House's assertion as "an attempt to cover up the initial failure in responding to the pandemic."
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