{"id":557359,"date":"2023-02-28T02:05:28","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T23:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/covid-origin-report-reignites-firestorm-over-lab-leak-theory\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28T02:05:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T23:05:28","slug":"covid-origin-report-reignites-firestorm-over-lab-leak-theory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/covid-origin-report-reignites-firestorm-over-lab-leak-theory\/","title":{"rendered":"#COVID origin report reignites firestorm over \u2018lab leak\u2019 theory"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a288522225d7\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a288522225d7\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/covid-origin-report-reignites-firestorm-over-lab-leak-theory\/#COVID_origin_report_reignites_firestorm_over_%E2%80%98lab_leak_theory\" >COVID origin report reignites firestorm over \u2018lab leak\u2019 theory<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"COVID_origin_report_reignites_firestorm_over_%E2%80%98lab_leak_theory\"><\/span>COVID origin report reignites firestorm over \u2018lab leak\u2019 theory<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/covid_NIAID-RML-via-AP.jpg?w=900\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>A new federal assessment saying a lab leak was the likely origin of COVID-19 is feeding new oxygen into Republican calls for further investigations, even as scientists and the intelligence community say the issue is still far from resolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the wake of a Wall Street Journal report published over the weekend on an Energy Department conclusion that COVID-19 most likely came from a lab leak in China, Republicans claimed vindication.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr1_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cSenator Tom Cotton deserves an apology,\u201d the Republican National Committee tweeted Monday.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In February 2020, Cotton (R-Ark.) raised the possibility, without evidence, that the virus had originated in a Chinese biochemical lab, though he later walked back his assertion that the virus was a weapon.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBeing proven right doesn\u2019t matter. What matters is holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable so this doesn\u2019t h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>en again,\u201d Cotton tweeted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said on Sunday that he will introduce legislation to declassify intelligence findings about the likely origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, a call that was echoed by other Senate Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>The White House spent Monday downplaying the report, emphasizing that intelligence agencies have not yet found any conclusive evidence whether the virus came from a lab or nature.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s not been a definitive conclusion, so it\u2019s difficult for me to say, nor should I feel like I should have to defend press reporting about a possible preliminary indication here,\u201d White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said during a press briefing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr2_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWhat the president wants is facts. He wants the whole government designed to go get those facts. And, that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing, and we\u2019re just not there yet,\u201d Kirby said.<\/p>\n<p>Yet House Republicans are revving up a probe into the virus\u2019s origins that began while they were in the minority last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>They retooled the focus of the panel investigating the government\u2019s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and have fired off letters demanding information and testimony from current and former Biden health officials, including Anthony Fauci, the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr3_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>On Monday, House Republicans expanded the probe to include the Department of Energy, the Department of State, and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), which has also assessed that a lab leak likely sparked the pandemic.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic already has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday to examine the administration\u2019s COVID policy decisions, and the new report is likely to become a focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But the U.S. intelligence community is split on the conclusion that the virus leaked from a Chinese lab, and the new report from DOE was reportedly made with \u201clow confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr4_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>In addition, politics and conspiracy theories have led to the origins of the pandemic becoming a third rail, with some conflating the possibility of a lab leak with theories of a Chinese biological weapon, which intelligence agencies have collectively debunked.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While many scientists contend there are legitimate questions to be asked about the origins of the virus and the U.S. response, much of the effort has been framed around political point-scoring.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe left spent the past 2yrs trying to censor the truth &amp; cover up for Communist China, but the facts are undeniable,\u201d Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenRickScott\/status\/1629865664306372611?s=20\">tweeted Sunday<\/a>. \u201cThe CCP is evil. Its virus killed millions &amp; Xi will stop at nothing to destroy the U.S. It\u2019s time to hold this evil regime accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr5_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>Experts fear the continued politicization of the issue combined with China\u2019s unwillingness to cooperate diminishes the likelihood of finding out what really happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A bipartisan pandemic response bill was included in last year\u2019s omnibus funding bill, but it did not contain a provision that would have established an independent commission to investigate the government\u2019s pandemic response and the virus\u2019s origins.<\/p>\n<p>And the latest DOE assessment only adds to the divided views within government about where COVID came from.\u00a0<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr6_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>\u201cWhen somebody puts something forward with low confidence, that tells you right there that you know, the level of evidence is extremely limited, if anything at all,\u201d said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota\u2019s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Osterholm said he\u2019s not surprised at the politicization, though he contends it\u2019s more useful to look ahead to the next pandemic than to look backwards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf a government agency said we now have low confidence conclusions that this was a spillover event, do you think that that would change anyone\u2019s mind?\u201d Osterholm said. \u201cIs it a surprise that what may be a scientific data point is twisted and turned to whatever direction someone wants it to fit their political persuasion? This is no longer about <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>. It\u2019s about political science.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-unit ad-unit--mr7_ab\"><\/aside>\n<p>During an interview with The Boston Globe on Monday, Fauci said he still thinks there\u2019s more evidence supporting a natural origin, but neither possibility should be ruled out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not sure exactly of the data upon which the Department of Energy statement was made. It would be nice to see those data in order to make an evaluation of the validity of that but again, the bottom line is we need to keep an open mind until one definitively nails down what the origin is,\u201d Fauci said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/healthcare\/3876352-covid-origin-report-reignites-firestorm-over-lab-leak-theory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID origin report reignites firestorm over \u2018lab leak\u2019 theory A new federal assessment saying a lab leak was the likely origin of COVID-19 is feeding new oxygen into Republican calls for further investigations, even as scientists and the intelligence community say the issue is still far from resolved.\u00a0 In the wake of a Wall Street&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":557360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thehill.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/02\/covid_NIAID-RML-via-AP.jpg?w=1280","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[134344,30245,117,140604,1356,73014,80445,134843,134826,140600,140605,126546,134345,4965,4949],"class_list":["post-557359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-administration","tag-anthony-fauci","tag-business","tag-covid-origin","tag-covid-19","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare","tag-john-kirby","tag-josh-hawley","tag-lab-leak-theory","tag-michael-osterholm","tag-rick-scott","tag-state-watch","tag-technology","tag-tom-cotton"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=557359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/557360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=557359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=557359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=557359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}