Former CDC head believes coronavirus “escaped” from Wuhan lab
By Divina Ramirez // Mar 31, 2021

Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in an interview with CNN on Friday, March 26, that he believes the coronavirus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, China.

Brighteon.TV

Redfield said that as a virologist, he wasn't convinced that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for  COVID-19, was already so contagious when it jumped directly from a bat to a person. This is the prevailing theory about the origins of COVID-19.

Redfield said he believed the virus was manipulated in a Wuhan laboratory to become more contagious, an idea that isn't as far-fetched as it seems. Redfield explained that when virologists study viruses, they "grow" the virus and help it develop so that they can conduct more experiments in the hopes of understanding it.

In the same vein, SARS-CoV-2 was likely developed to become more contagious for research purposes. But the virus was accidentally released by a worker in the laboratory, posited Redfield. He also said he believed the virus began circulating in Wuhan around September or October 2019, months prior to the official timeline.

Redfield also said it's not unusual for workers inside such laboratories to be infected with pathogens being studied. In fact, laboratory-acquired infections are a very real occupational hazard unique to laboratory workers, especially those working in microbiology laboratories.

Redfield clarified that he wasn't implying that the release of the virus was intentional.

Coronavirus escaped from lab in China

This is the first time that Redfield stated on the record that he believes the coronavirus came from a laboratory, not from a wet market where the initial cluster of cases was traced to. But he's not the first person to think that.

Former President Donald Trump said late last April that he has reason to believe SARS-CoV-2 was accidentally released from a laboratory in Wuhan. Trump, who drew flak from left-wing activists for calling the virus the Chinese virus, also suggested that Wuhan laboratory workers could have released the virus intentionally.

Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also pointed out at the time that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was only a few of miles away from the wet market. He insisted that China provide the world access to the institute's laboratory.

In January, Pompeo called on the WHO to examine the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan. "Beijing continues today to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect the world from this deadly virus and the next one," said Pompeo.

The Chinese government offered theories that the virus might not have originated in Wuhan after all. However, it has repeatedly blocked scientists from the U.S. from entering the country to investigate the origins of the virus, stirring a debate about the virus's origins and stoking tensions between China and the U.S.

The Chinese government had responded to Trump's theories at the time, dismissing such theories as fabricated and unfounded. Geng Shuang, China's then-representative to the United Nations (UN) and foreign ministry spokesperson, said the origin of the virus was a complex issue that should be studied by professionals.

Shuang also cited the institute's director, Yuan Zhiming, who said that their laboratory strictly implements bio-security procedures that would prevent the accidental release of any pathogen.

Scientists to report on investigation about coronavirus origins soon

During the COVID-19 briefing at the White House on Friday, Anthony Fauci dismissed Redfield's comments as mere opinions. Fauci, who serves as chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, also said that there are a number of theories as to the origins of COVID-19.

The WHO had previously stated that the laboratory theory was extremely unlikely. But a team of scientists with the WHO who were allowed into Wuhan last year still haven't been able to determine the origin of the virus. (Related: China rewrites COVID history, purges 300 studies linking virus to Wuhan lab.)

But the team has a few theories – four, to be exact. Their lengthy report is being published after months of experts debating over the origins of the virus. It's not clear when the report will be released after its publication. Still, experts hope the first-of-its-kind report would offer some concrete answers.

Until then, experts can't completely rule out theories like Redfield's.

Go to Pandemic.news to learn more about the theories surrounding the origins of the Wuhan coronavirus.

Sources include:

TheDailyMail.co.uk

Academic.OUP.com

APNews.com 1

APNews.com 2



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.