A report by U.S. intelligence states, in November 2019, three researchers from Beijing’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) had sought hospital care. This is an entire month before Chinese authorities reported the outbreak of the coronavirus-induced COVID-19 disease which has significantly reduced the economic growth across the globe and has killed 3 million-plus people across the world.
This information was shared in the American edition of the Wall Street Journal.
If this intelligence report is accurate it will provide much impetus and direction to an international investigation or confirm the theory that the virus was developed in a Chinese bio-safety facility.
Beijing has denied the speculation that the virus was developed at an artificial facility in its territory.
While the National Security Council declined to comment on the WSJ report it reiterated the US Administration’s point of concern that the Coronarivus which caused the COVID-19 pandemic had been “released by a Chinese laboratory.”
“We’re not going to make pronouncements that prejudge an ongoing WHO study into the source of SARS-CoV-2, but we’ve been clear that international experts should thoroughly evaluate sound and technically credible theories,” said the National Security Council’s spokeswoman.
According to a US intelligence official, further evidence is required to conclusively confirm the origin of the pandemic.
On its part the White House is telling China that opaqueness and obfuscation is not helpful, there needs to be greater transparency on Beijing’s part in this investigation. While China is struggling to overcome demands for increased transparency, the United States expects that with the help of broader public attitude, sooner than later, Beijing will have to agree.
A host of countries, including the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Norway and others are insisting on a greater, in-depth investigation into COVID-19’s origin.
Interesting, Beijing has kept a provision open for its Wuhan lab being the source of COVID-19: it has not ruled out the possibility that its Wuhan Level 4 bio-safety lab is the source; it has however said it believes it is not. A press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry states, “this is unlikely,” but it does not rule out this possibility.
Incidentally, first media reports of the COVID-19 outbreak was in Wuhan.
In an apparent attempt to politicize the issue, China’s foreign ministry said, US allegations are nothing but an attempt at “advertising and distraction”.
China has refused to provide raw data on the early cases of COVID-19 during WHO’s investigation.
The latest US intelligence report supports the Trump Administration’s point of view that COVID-19 leaked out from China’s level 4 bio-safety facility.
