A United States Congressional committee has concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a laboratory-related incident. The findings were released in a 520-page report by the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis after two years of investigation.
The report suggests that the coronavirus may have emerged from a “gain-of-function” research accident at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. This controversial type of research involves enhancing viruses to study their behavior and develop countermeasures. The US National Institutes of Health reportedly funded such studies at the institute prior to the pandemic.
The investigation included over 25 meetings, 30 interviews, and the review of more than a million documents. It also highlighted criticism of pandemic response measures like mask mandates and lockdowns, suggesting they caused more harm than good, though travel restrictions were deemed effective.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led US public health efforts during the pandemic, testified in the inquiry, defending the virus’s zoonotic origin and rejecting claims that his decisions fueled the outbreak. Fauci, now retired, has faced conspiracy accusations about suppressing the lab leak theory.
The committee’s findings add to ongoing global debates as researchers remain divided between zoonotic origins and the lab leak hypothesis. The pandemic has claimed over 7 million lives worldwide.
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