A recent report from a US probe has concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic was likely started by an unintentional leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, a Chinese institution. The 302-page Senate report obtained by Axios highlights previous failures and challenges in determining the cause of the virus, mentioning it escaped from the lab due to lack of cooperation from China. However, while evidence is considered circumstantial, authors believe that it is highly probable we will never know for sure.
The investigation was championed by Senator Richard Burr (Republican - North Carolina) and released in January by Robert Kadlec, former HHS assistant secretary for preparedness and response during Trump's administration. This latest Congressional paper supports previous conclusions that this theory is probable and puts focus back on investigations led by House representatives.
On Monday night, Senator Roger Marshall announced another Senate report backing up these findings with origins pointing to two lab leaks from Wuhan as causation for COVID-19. Authored alongside Muddy Waters Group experts Dr. Bob Kadlec and Dr Bob Foster, they also note no known naturally occurring incidents have been reported but argue their ability to research further has been hampered due to China’s refusal to cooperate.
President Joe Biden recently ordered all United States government documentation on COVID-19 be made public knowledge moving forward. A former senior aide mentioned how although Senator Burr’s departure may have slowed down its progress initially; this new information remains crucial to ongoing debates surrounding causes behind COVID-19.
Titled 'Muddy Waters', this 301-page document compiled under medical expert Robert Kadlec (known for spearheading Operation Warp Speed) doubles down on theories supporting accidental lab leaks within Wuhan as responsible factors behind coronavirus emergence. With poor biosafety conditions handling risky contagion samples at WIV being called into question along with key queries on Chinese vaccine patents, this report strengthens theories of unintentional lab leaks as the origin of the pandemic.
While no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding COVID-19 origins, intelligence and scientific communities remain divided over whether accidental lab leaks or natural spillover are most likely scenarios. The Huanan wet market in Wuhan was initially viewed as a potential epicenter; however, recent research suggests it could have acted more like a "super spreader", where the virus exploded once already present within the region.