Latest news with #COVID.gov
NDTV
01-05-2025
- Health
- NDTV
"Don't Pretend To Be Deaf, Dumb": China Claims Covid-19 Originated In US
Washington: The Covid-19 pandemic originated from the United States and not Wuhan, China said on Wednesday, accusing Washington of "shifting the blame". The statement came in response to the US government's latest claims that the virus likely leaked from a lab in Wuhan, China. China hit back, accusing the US of "shamelessly politicising" the virus' origins. In a white paper, Chinese officials said, "Substantial evidence suggested the Covid-19 might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China." The paper also focused on Beijing's long-standing position that a lab leak is "extremely unlikely," citing a joint World Health Organization (WHO)-China study. "The US government, instead of facing squarely its failure in response to COVID-19 and reflecting on its shortcomings, has tried to shift the blame and divert people's attention by shamelessly politicising SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing," the Chinese government said. The US should not "pretend to be deaf and dumb," they said. The white paper alleged Washington evaded responsibility and attempted to distract from its mishandling of the pandemic. "The US should cease from shifting blame and evading responsibility, stop finding external excuses for its internal malaise, and genuinely reflect on and overhaul its public health policies," the document read. "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct," they said, as per Fox News. The strongly worded document followed the White House's decision earlier this month to revamp its website. The updated site pushes the theory that COVID-19 leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, describes it as the "most likely" origin, and criticises former US officials such as Dr Anthony Fauci and former President Joe Biden. "A lab-related incident involving gain-of-function research is most likely the origin of COVID-19," reads the updated White House section. It also asserts that current oversight of such research is "incomplete, severely convoluted, and lack[s] global applicability." The new US stance cites biological features in the virus that allegedly don't occur in nature and suggests that if a natural origin were true, evidence would have surfaced by now. The website also references a past lawsuit that resulted in a $24 billion judgment against China for allegedly hoarding protective gear and covering up the early outbreak, as per CNN. Earlier this year, the CIA shifted its assessment, saying the pandemic most likely started in a lab, though the agency said it was "low confidence". In its conclusion, it said both lab and natural origins remain plausible. An official from China's National Health Commission added that the next phase of COVID-19 origin tracing should focus on the US.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
China blames US for origin of COVID-19 and turning 'deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct'
China is blaming the United States for the origin of Covid-19, accusing Washington of "evading responsibility" for the virus amid multiple statements by President Donald Trump that it was leaked from a lab in Wuhan. In a multipage paper, the Communist regime said the infectious disease was present in the U.S. earlier than what was officially determined. "The US should cease from shifting blame and evading responsibility, stop finding external excuses for its internal malaise, and genuinely reflect on and overhaul its public health policies," the paper states. "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct." Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. Credibility Crisis: New York Times Helped Mislead America Over Covid Lab Leak Theory The paper came after the White House earlier this month revamped its website, showing the "true origins" of the disease. Read On The Fox News App The website, which previously focused on promoting the vaccine to Americans, walks readers through evidence supporting the lab leak theory, how former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promoted the idea that COVID-19 originated naturally, former President Joe Biden pardoning Fauci for "any offenses against" the U.S. he may have committed, and providing details on the origin of the "social distancing" rules and mask mandates. The new site outlines that a biological characteristic found in the virus was not found in nature, bolstering the lab-leak theory, while noting that Wuhan, China, where the first coronavirus case was found, is also home to China's "foremost SARs research lab" and that "if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn't." Trump Made Me Do It: Liberal Media Blames Its Dismissal Of Lab Leak Theory On Ex-president's 'Xenophobia' The Trump administration's CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic. However, China said in its paper that a past joint study conducted with the World Health Organization (WHO) found that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal. The report also accused the U.S. of not doing more to combat the virus. "The slow and ineffective US response during the early stages of the outbreak set an appalling example to the international community and made the US performance in handling the pandemic the worst of all countries," Chinese officials wrote. "Instead of facing this issue squarely and reflecting on its shortcomings, the US government has tried to shift the blame and divert people's attention by shamelessly politicizing SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing." "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct," the report said. Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report. Original article source: China blames US for origin of COVID-19 and turning 'deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct'
Fox News
01-05-2025
- Health
- Fox News
China blames US for origin of COVID-19 and turning 'deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct'
China is blaming the United States for the origin of COVID-19, accusing Washington of "evading responsibility" for the virus amid multiple statements by President Donald Trump that it was leaked from a lab in Wuhan. In a multipage paper, the Communist regime said the infectious disease was present in the U.S. earlier than what was officially determined. "The US should cease from shifting blame and evading responsibility, stop finding external excuses for its internal malaise, and genuinely reflect on and overhaul its public health policies," the paper states. "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct." Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. The paper came after the White House earlier this month revamped its website, showing the "true origins" of the disease. The website, which previously focused on promoting the vaccine to Americans, walks readers through evidence supporting the lab leak theory, how former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci promoted the idea that COVID-19 originated naturally, former President Joe Biden pardoning Fauci for "any offenses against" the U.S. he may have committed, and providing details on the origin of the "social distancing" rules and mask mandates. The new site outlines that a biological characteristic found in the virus was not found in nature, bolstering the lab-leak theory, while noting that Wuhan, China, where the first coronavirus case was found, is also home to China's "foremost SARs research lab" and that "if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn't." The Trump administration's CIA reported earlier in 2025 that a lab leak was the likely origin of the COVID-19 virus, which had been passed off by media outlets and scientists as a likely conspiracy theory during the early days of the pandemic. However, China said in its paper that a past joint study conducted with the World Health Organization (WHO) found that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted from bats to humans via another animal. The report also accused the U.S. of not doing more to combat the virus. "The slow and ineffective US response during the early stages of the outbreak set an appalling example to the international community and made the US performance in handling the pandemic the worst of all countries," Chinese officials wrote. "Instead of facing this issue squarely and reflecting on its shortcomings, the US government has tried to shift the blame and divert people's attention by shamelessly politicizing SARS-CoV-2 origins tracing." "The US cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the numerous questions over its conduct," the report said.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
White House changes COVID.gov web page to page supporting lab leak theory
The White House has redirected to a new landing page called "Lab Leak: True Origins of COVID-19," which makes a five-point argument for the theory that COVID-19 originated from a mistaken lab leak in Wuhan, China. The new site appears to use theories from the final report of the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, released in December 2024. There has never been a consensus or a "smoking gun" to explain what started the pandemic. The page, as recently as last week, listed resources for testing, treatment, and vaccination against COVID-19, as well as information for Long COVID. The five pieces of evidence put forth by the White House for the theory include the following assertions: that the "virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature," that data shows all cases "stem from a single introduction into humans," that "Wuhan is home to China's foremost SARS research lab," that researchers at that research lab "were sick with COVID-like symptoms in the fall of 2019," and that "if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced." What the 'lab leak' theory report about COVID's origins does and doesn't mean The page includes claims that government officials, including former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, helped edit and then amplify a research paper on the origins of COVID-19 published in 2020 that supported natural origin theory. The current page suggests this paper's explicit intention was to discredit the lab leak theory and remove any doubt that the origins were of natural origin. This is not a new accusation and in the past Fauci and the paper authors disagreed with the accusations that the paper was manipulated or had any specific goal. The origins of the pandemic have been hotly debated since its start. The prevailing theories always seemed to focus on two scenarios: either natural exposure to an infected animal or an accidental lab leak. With no "smoking gun" and limited access to raw data, discussion of the science has played out in a haze of circumstantial evidence. In October 2021, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a declassified report on the intelligence community's views on the origin conundrum, which also leaned toward a natural spillover, but represented divided views. A subsequent declassified report released in 2023 also noted that most of the intelligence community was split on the origins of the pandemic. In reports, US agencies generally agreed that the virus was most likely not developed as a biological weapon and that China's leaders did not know about the virus before the start of the global pandemic. The new splash page features a photo of Fauci and the pardon that former President Joe Biden granted him, highlighting that it was for "any offenses." The page also accuses federal agencies, including NIH and HHS, of breaking laws and violating rules about transparency and cooperation with Congressional investigation. The agencies complied with FOIA requests and other regulatory requests from the committee and also appeared before lawmakers when asked to testify. New report from Senate Republicans doubles down on COVID lab leak theory The web page also calls into question the efficacy of social distancing, masking and lockdown. The White House also criticized the response from New York officials. Fauci testified about the accusations before lawmakers in 2024, saying that accusations about him covering up or influencing research about the lab leak theory are untrue. "The accusation being circulated that I influenced the scientists to change their minds by bribing them with millions of dollars in grant money is absolutely false, and simply preposterous. I had no input into the content of the published paper," Fauci said in June of 2024. Key takeaways: Fauci defends against GOP claims on COVID origins, response "The second issue is a false accusation that I tried to cover up the possibility that the virus originated from a lab. In fact, the truth is exactly the opposite," Fauci said during that 2024 hearing. This is not the first time that the White House has made clear its position on the origins of COVID-19. In January, President Trump said that COVID-19 had "strained" his relationship with President Xi Jinping of China. "But, I like President Xi very much. I've always liked him. We always had a very good relationship. It was very strained with COVID coming out of Wuhan. Obviously, that strained it. I'm sure it strained it with a lot of people, but that strained our relationship," Trump said in remarks to the World Economic Forum. ABC News' Eric Strauss, Sony Salzman and Cheyenne Haslett contributed to this report. White House changes web page to page supporting lab leak theory originally appeared on
Forbes
18-04-2025
- Health
- Forbes
White House Pushes ‘Lab Leak' Theory On New Covid Website
Americans seeking information from the White House about COVID-19 testing or vaccinations are now greeted by a new website, which no longer includes easily accessible information about treatment and prevention of the disease. WASHINGTON, DC: Dr. Anthony Fauci (L), director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious ... More Diseases, speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump looks on during a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, in the press briefing room of the White House on March 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by) Both and now redirect to a site promoting the 'lab leak' theory, a claim that COVID-19 emerged from an accidental leak from researchers working on viruses at a lab in Wuhan, China, rather than at the Huanan Market in Wuhan, the latter of which is supported by a March 2020 report published in Nature Medicine by scientists across the globe that was widely cited by public health officials during the height of the pandemic. The information on the updated COVID site comes from the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, according to a note at the bottom of the page, and the committee's report titled 'After Action Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward' is downloadable on the site. The report says vaccines 'undoubtedly saved millions of lives by diminishing likelihood of severe disease and death,' but also says the Biden administration and public health officials exaggerated their effectiveness. The new site also says preventative measures such as mask mandates, social distancing and lockdown restrictions caused more harm than good, and calls out 'failures' of the pandemic response by the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health. It's unclear exactly when the site was updated, but Axios and other news outlets are reporting it was launched Friday. An April 10 snapshot of from an internet archive shows the site formerly provided a plethora of resources for prevention and treatment, underlining the importance of vaccinations with, 'People who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine have lower risk of severe illness,' highlighted at the top of the page. 'The Trump administration has been very clear that, in contrast to the previous administration, we WILL be the most transparent administration in U.S. history. Nothing will stop us from innovating and finding creative ways to uphold our end of the bargain,' White House spokesman Kaelan Dorr told Forbes in an emailed response to questions about the launch of the updated site. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's COVID site still urges everyone over six months old to get a COVID-19 vaccine, but the agency is considering narrowing its vaccine recommendations, CNN reported (the CDC did not immediately return Forbes' request for comment Friday afternoon). The lab leak theory, which claims the pandemic emerged from a leak in the Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, has been floated by President Donald Trump since 2020. While most public health officials and scientists stand by evidence pointing to COVID-19's origins in a Wuhan seafood market, some federal agencies have thrown support behind the idea. Most recently, the CIA released a statement in January supporting the lab theory, The New York Times reported, but there was no new information behind the agency's shift. Scientific experts have repeatedly rejected this theory, including the authors of the report published in Nature Medicine who said they 'do not believe that any type of laboratory-based scenario is plausible." The Chinese Foreign Ministry has also denied claims that the pandemic began in a laboratory. Trump has long been a critic of the Biden administration's pandemic response, including his pardon of former Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci. In January 2025, former President Joe Biden pardoned Fauci to guard him from potential revenge from Trump, who butted heads with Fauci during his first term, the Associated Press reported. The updated site says the Nature Medicine report about COVID's origins 'was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally.' Beyond Fauci, the new website also denounces the pandemic response actions of Fauci's senior adviser Dr. David Morens and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The nonprofit medical research center Mayo Clinic still recommends getting the vaccine, even if you've already contracted COVID-19 in the past. The CDC's still allows users to enter their ZIP code to find pharmacies nearby offering the vaccine. The cost of vaccinations is covered by most health insurance plans, but the CDC offers resources for those who are uninsured. Measles Updates: 800 Cases In U.S. As Majority Of Outbreak Remains In Texas (Forbes) Trump Administration Demands Harvard Disclose Foreign Funding—Escalating Feud (Forbes)
