There has been much debate as to where the coronavirus originated.
Now, reports are blowing up all over the internet that the virus may have been released accidentally from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, China.
Not a Biological Weapon
Before we get into how this happened, we need to make sure everyone understands there are no signs that this was a biological weapon created by the Chinese.
Instead, the virus was believed to have been occurring in horseshoe bats that had been collected from a cave in Yunnan Province.
Researchers were working on the virus at the WIV when somehow, due to lax security protocols, the virus got out.
According to the reports we have read, there were previous concerns about protocols in place at the lab, and now those concerns appear to be a reality that we are dealing with right now.
Concerns surrounding the security at the lab are not exactly a surprise, either, as a recent Washington Post report quoted a 2018 State Department cable that read, “During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory.”
Immediate Backlash
President Trump was recently asked about the reports, and while he did acknowledge hearing the reports, he would not confirm or deny the origins of the virus.
Others in the GOP were not so cautious.
Rep. Matt Gaetz tweeted out…
At best, Americans are funding people who are lying to us.
At worst, we’re funding people who we knew had problems handling pathogens, who then birthed a monster virus onto the world. pic.twitter.com/0ASWpe6vzQ
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) April 15, 2020
Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ) stated, “There is zero doubt that the Chinese communist government has American blood on its hands.
“They put American lives at risk by covering up the origin and scope of the coronavirus crisis.
“The NIH must immediately stop deploying American tax dollars to China for this dangerous research.
“I’m also leading congressional efforts to ensure no coronavirus relief payments—intended to help American taxpayers and businesses—are misspent in China.
“The Chinese government must be held accountable for this crisis.”
To add insult to injury, this is a lab that both the United States and Canada have issued research grants to in recent years.
While the amount of money that has been given specifically to this lab is unknown, it is part of projects that were funded with a total of $7.1 million of taxpayer money.
The Chinese have vehemently denied the report, and their claims, of course, were backed up by the World Health Organization.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian stated, “China’s position has been clear on the origin and transmission routes of the novel coronavirus.
“The head of the World Health Organization has repeatedly stated that there hasn’t been any evidence pointing to the virus being lab-created.
“Many renowned medical experts around the world have also described theories such as ‘lab leaks’ as lacking any scientific proof.”
While we would expect that response from the Chinese, IF these reports are found to be valid, not only are the Chinese going to have hell to pay on a global scale, but the defunding of the W.H.O. by Trump will not have only been justified, but we may see far more severe backlash, up to and including the dissolving of the W.H.O.
If this organization is found to have been complicit in a coverup of this magnitude with something that has utterly devastated the world economy, it simply can no longer be permitted to exist.
Sources: Washington Post, Fox News & ABC 7
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