The top infectious disease expert of the United States Anthony Fauci said that he was not ‘convinced’ that the COVId-19 virus was developed naturally. He made trhese comments at a Poynter event, “United Facts of America: A Festival of Fact-Checking”, earlier this month.
He further called for an open investigation into China to investigate the virus’ origins.
“Certainly, the people who investigated it say it likely was the emergence from an animal reservoir that then infected individuals, but it could have been something else, and we need to find that out. So, you know, that’s the reason why I said I’m perfectly in favor of any investigation that looks into the origin of the virus,” added Fauci.
It is to be noted that the first case of coronavirus emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. Fauci also said that there was possibility that the virus could have leaked from the Wuhan lab.
“Do you think it’s possible that Covid-19 arose from a lab accident a in Wuhan, and should it be fully investigated?” Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), a doctor, asked Fauci during a Senate hearing on May 11.
“That possibility certainly exists, and I am totally in favour of a full investigation of whether that could have happened,” Fauci replied.
In United States, a total of 3.31 crore people were infected with COVID-19, and 5.89 lakh people died because of the deadly virus.