‘Not convinced,’ says American physician-scientist and immunologist Dr. Anthony Fauci regarding the lab leak theory of coronavirus. He does not believe that COVID-19 developed naturally. The director of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) calls for an open investigation to find out how the virus originated.
Fauci disapproves of the lab leak theory of coronavirus
Fauci was recently a part of United Facts of America: A Festival of Fact-Checking. At the event a reporter asked him if he believed that coronavirus developed naturally. Katie Sanders from PolitiFact indicated the cloudiness surrounding the origin of coronavirus and asked Fauci to comment. Fauci’s reply was recorded in a 12-minute long footage of the event, which was overlooked by the media initially. However, it has now come to light for all the right reasons.
Fauci mentioned “not convinced” that coronavirus developed naturally. He said that there should be an ongoing investigation on China. Moreover, he also said that the US would use their best abilities to determine what led to this worldwide massacre.
Fauci spoke about the references of investigations that indicated the emergence of coronavirus from animals that infected humans. However, according to Fauci, “it could have been something else.” Fauci support any form of investigation that can throw light on the origin of the coronavirus.
Anthony Fauci confronts Senator Rand Paul
Senator Randal Howard Paul asked Fauci to state that he does not believe coronavirus could have emerged through a serial passage in a laboratory during a senate meeting on May 18. Fauci did not rule out the possibility, but he said he does not believe the accounts given by China. He also said that he favors further investigation to get to the bottom of the truth. Fauci also mentioned that NIAID and NIH had not funded research to be conducted in the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where the virus is known to have emerged.
According to Paul, NIH funded Wuhan Institute of Virology. Thus, he asked Fauci about the involvement of NIAID and NIH in this matter. Paul targeted function research that works on creating deadly pathogens that are highly transmissible. Paul alleged that US virologists have been working with Chinese institutes to conduct such research.
At the Fact-Checking event, Fauci addressed Paul and said he combined two aspects and made irresponsible statements. He also reminded that Sars-Cov-1 developed in China during the early 2000s. Only Chinese scientists can give such accounts.
WHO states lab leak is not “extensive enough”
Earlier, the Trump administration had argued regarding the laboratory leak of the coronavirus. Further, WHO termed the lab leak theory as “unlikely.” WHO chief Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the virus infecting the human population due to a laboratory leak is not “extensive enough.” WHO demands further investigation to know the actual origin of the coronavirus.
The White House has yet not confirmed if they have enough evidence to annul the lab leak theory present by China. Further, they have given the go-ahead in terms of independent investigation needed to know facts.
Jen Psaki, the press secretary of the White House, stated that the Biden administration claims both privately and publicly that China has not been transparent about coronavirus from the beginning.
The recent remarks by Fauci exquisitely point out his belief regarding the origin of the virus. Since May 2020, the doctor has refused to believe the lab leak theory. In an interview with National Geographic, Fauci talked about the evolution of viruses in bats. According to him, this theory could not have been artificially manipulated. The evolution of the virus indicated this, so he does not entertain the theory presented by the Chinese government.
