Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Coronavirus Likely ‘Escaped’ From Wuhan Lab, Ex-CDC Chief Claims

Coronavirus Likely ‘Escaped’ From Wuhan Lab, Ex-CDC Chief Claims

The WHO is due to release its report summarising the current findings on the origins of the highly-contagious COVID-19 coronavirus virus which has killed over 2,750,000 people around the world and infected and sickened another 125 million.

Robert Redfield, who led the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, believes that, based on the findings, the coronavirus “escaped” from a lab in Wuhan, in the Chinese province of Hubei, and began spreading much earlier than previously suspected, in September 2019, he told CNN in a clip televised on Friday.

“Other people don’t believe that. That’s fine. Science will eventually figure it out”, the former top health official under US President Donald Trump noted.

Redfield suggests posited that the virus’s strength and the way it spreads, easily and quickly, are cues of it having being developed in a laboratory. He noted that if it had originated from animals, as the most prominent theory goes, it would have taken a much greater amount of time for it to adapt to new hosts before effectively spreading between humans.

“It takes a while for it to figure out how to become more and more efficient in human-to-human transmission. I just don’t think this makes biological sense”.

When asked whether he believes the lab was going to great lengths to make the virus more efficient, Redfield shared his own lab experience, noting that perfectionism is typical in these matters:

“Let’s just say, I have a coronavirus, and I’m working on it -- most of us in the lab are trying to grow [the] virus,” he said. “We try to make it grow better and better and better and better, so we can do experiments and figure out about it. That’s the way I put it together”.

Redfield said he is “not implying any intentionality”, nor is he accusing Beijing of intentionally allowing the virus to escape the lab, which would otherwise be in line with Trump claims of the novel virus being a “China virus” or “Kung Flu”, a sobriquet deemed derogatory and offensive.

Beijing hit back at the time that the first the allegations arrived, declaring that it would never withhold any information, passing it instead on to the international community as soon as government officials verified and approved the data on the newly emerged coronavirus strain.

The roots of the virus remain unidentified officially, a continuing source of contention in the global research community.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and chief medical advisor to US President Joe Biden, previously worked alongside Redfield, and noted on Friday that the ex-official’s opinion is not shared by a majority of the top brass in US health services.

The World Health Organization, which earlier found no evidence that the virus spread before December 2019, is meanwhile expected to release a report on COVID-19 origins this month, informed by an extensive 17-strong scientific team.

All Eyes on Upcoming Report


There are to date four main theories, including that the highly-contagious virus came from a laboratory in Wuhan, but research by scientists indicates that the virus was most likely transferred to humans after spreading and adapting from bats to some intermediary species. It has not been made clear what this middle host is.

The Biden administration has concerns about a lack of transparency and data throughout the preparation of the report, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Friday. She refused, though, to specify whether Biden sticks to a particular view on the likely origins of the virus, adding that the much-awaited report is due soon.

“They actually delayed the release of that report, which we were encouraged by. We’ll have to take a look at it and make sure we have access to the underlying information,” Psaki said, reiterating calls for an international investigation into the ongoing global pandemic.

The novel coronavirus, which prompted WHO to first declare a health emergency and then a pandemic, resulting in a significant percentage of the developed world going into lockdown, has to date caused over 2,750,000 deaths and over 125 million infections, according to data collated by the Johns Hopkins University.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×