Senator: China Should Take Responsibility for COVID-19, Regardless of Origins

June 19, 2024 TruthUSA

There is a growing bipartisan consensus on the need to strengthen oversight of experiments involving dangerous viruses.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) stated on June 18 that regardless of how COVID-19 originated, the blame lies with the Chinese regime.

During a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing examining evidence on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, Romney emphasized, “Whether it came from a wet market or the Wuhan lab, China is at fault. Both were located in China.”

He further asserted that China should take responsibility and be transparent about the outbreak.

Since the virus first emerged in Wuhan, China, and spread globally, Beijing has consistently denied responsibility, redirecting blame to other potential sources of the disease worldwide.

Despite claiming to be “open and transparent” on the issue of the virus’s origins, China has suppressed whistleblowers and withheld data from outside investigators, including World Health Organization experts.

Questions remain about whether the virus existed in Wuhan before the pandemic and for how long.

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Dr. Robert Garry, a microbiology and immunology professor at Tulane University, highlighted the lack of full disclosure from the Chinese government regarding essential information related to the virus.

Concerns revolve around the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the need to examine records of its research, medical surveillance of researchers, and biocontainment equipment maintenance to assess potential accidents or lab leaks.

Experts, including Gregory Koblentz from George Mason University, express frustration over China’s lack of transparency, hindering investigations into both natural zoonotic transmission and a possible laboratory origin of the virus.

Dr. Steven Quay, a founder of Atossa Therapeutics, raised suspicions based on circumstantial evidence, such as the Wuhan lab’s connections to the military and the handling of dangerous pathogens before the outbreak.

He also pointed out unique features in the COVID-19 virus genome that suggest synthetic manipulation, questioning the natural origins theory.

A man crosses an empty street in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Getty Images)

Dr. Quay highlighted specific proteins in the SARS-CoV-2 genome that he described as highly unusual and synthetic, raising further doubts about the virus’s natural origin.

With no definitive evidence on the virus’s source, there is a consensus among lawmakers and witnesses for stricter oversight of gain-of-function research to prevent future pandemics.

Experts emphasize the need for regulatory changes in potentially high-risk research areas like gain-of-function studies.

Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) proposed a “9/11-style commission” to investigate the issue thoroughly and seek accountability outside of Washington, D.C.

Efforts are focused on preventing similar incidents in the future and implementing stronger safeguards in virus research.

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