On December 2, a 520-page report from the US House of Representatives’ COVID-19 Special Subcommittee released the results of a two-year investigation, indicating that the SARS-CoV-2 virus most likely emerged from a research-related incident or a leak from a laboratory in China. This conclusion was made after 25 meetings, more than 30 interviews, and analysis of more than 1 million pages of documents.
In its report, the subcommittee specifically noted that the US National Institutes of Health had funded “gain-of-function” research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which involves modifying viruses to increase their infectivity, with the goal of studying the virus’s potential impact on humans. However, this method has been controversial because of its potential risks.
The report also included a closed-door interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is accused of approving funding for the Wuhan research. Fauci denied the allegations, saying it was “molecularly impossible” for the virus to mutate from a bat in a lab into SARS-CoV-2. However, the subcommittee concluded that the COVID-19 virus most likely originated from a lab accident.
China has repeatedly denied that the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan. In previous statements, China has stressed that tracing the origin of COVID-19 is a scientific issue and accused the US of politicizing the issue. Beijing has asked the World Health Organization (WHO) to maintain a scientific stance and not become a tool of any country.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman once stated that scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology should be honored rather than blamed, because they were the first to discover the genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed about 7 million people worldwide, including 1.2 million in the U.S. The House report also criticized lockdown measures, saying they “have done more harm than good” in responding to the pandemic.
With this conclusion, the controversy over the origin of COVID-19 shows no signs of abating. Accusations regarding the responsibility of countries and international organizations have further increased the division in the international community, as parties continue to blame each other instead of reaching a consensus.
