Issues between US security agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in China have emerged, revealing concerns over the possibility of the lab using genetically engineered viruses for military purposes. These warnings predate the Covid-19 pandemic, adding further layers of intrigue to the pandemic’s mysterious origins.
Despite the lab’s identified safety concerns, it was found that the lab was planning to engineer Ebola strains as early as 2017, raising alarms among US health officials. In response, a contact from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) was instructed to omit the safety deficiencies from an official report to prevent ruffling feathers in China. Concerns about these engineered viruses were also downplayed by the head of the National Institutes of Health, Francis Collins.
Furthermore, it was discovered that US grant money was indirectly funding the lab’s operations via controversial research group EcoHealth Alliance. When an NIAID official visited the WIV, she discovered that the lab planned to create viruses using reverse genetics, raising further alarm among officials. It is evident from the emails and reports obtained that those involved were reticent to disclose this information for fear of jeopardizing their collaboration with the WIV.
Even more concerning is the fact that the Department of Energy identified genetic engineering as a potential threat in 2016 and addressed the issue, but was met with skepticism from NIH officials, including Collins. These revelations raise questions about the ongoing provision of international support to the WIV, which continued despite evidence of the lab’s lack of capacity to handle dangerous pathogens.
As theories about the pandemic’s origins abound, a recently declassified report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggests that the DOE and FBI believe the pandemic likely originated in the WIV. This stands in contrast to the opinions of other government agencies, which cite insufficient evidence to unequivocally support one theory over another.
The intricacies of this situation reflect the complicated relationships between US health and security agencies and foreign scientific entities, casting doubt on the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The revelations from these interactions only raise more speculation about the nature and origin of Covid-19.
