Republicans and Democrats have launched a ‘groundbreaking’ investigation into the origins of Covid – amid mounting evidence that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.
The 15-member Senate committee will investigate the threat of deadly viruses escaping from high-security research labs in the US and abroad.
It will also examine how taxpayer money has been spent to fund research, including risky gain-of-function experiments, where animal viruses are ingeniously modified to make them more contagious to humans.
Rand Paul, a senator for Kentucky and chairman of the committee behind the new investigation, said: “It is well past the time for the Senate to conduct a bipartisan investigation into the origins of Covid.
“I have been knocking on the doors of federal agencies for the past three years, relentlessly seeking information about Covid, but it has been nothing short of a wild goose chase.
The 15-member Senate committee will investigate the threat of deadly viruses escaping from high-security laboratories where research is conducted. Some claim Covid escaped from Wuhan Institute of Virology (picture above)
Democrat Gary Peters (left) and Republican Rand Paul are leading the investigation
He added: ‘To avoid repeating past mistakes, it is crucial that we fully understand the dangers of potentially dangerous bioresearch.’
The investigation comes after several US agencies – including the Department of Energy and State Department officials – suggested that Covid had leaked from a laboratory.
On Wednesday morning, a leading scientist in Australia also added his voice to the theory, suggesting the laboratory leak theory was a ‘credible possibility’.
Scientists and experts, including government officials, have warned for years that risky research conducted in high-level laboratories could accidentally trigger a deadly disease outbreak.
Federal data shows that approximately 70 to 100 release incidents are reported each year in which a virus or disease is believed to have escaped outside “primary containment” – increasing the risk of a potential outbreak.
The graph above shows the number of laboratory leak incidents recorded each year in the US where a disease was released outside the primary containment (or test tube)
Between 2015 and 2023, at least seven U.S. entities provided NIH grant money to laboratories in China that conduct animal testing, totaling $3,306,061
Senator Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat and chairman of the committee, said: “Biotechnology is advancing rapidly, and our understanding of biological risks and threats is constantly evolving.
“While many of these developments have the potential to greatly benefit Americans, we must also ensure that we address and minimize the serious risks they may pose to our health and national security.
“This bipartisan surveillance effort will allow us to take a comprehensive look at whether the federal government is taking the necessary steps to protect Americans from current and future biological threats.”
For its investigation, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will hold hearings with a range of officials and experts in laboratory regulatory oversight.
It will also likely call some senior officials to explain how labs are regulated and whether more oversight is needed.
The committee concludes by publishing a report detailing its findings.
A start date for the investigation has yet to be determined.
An October 2023 hearing on the regulation of laboratories by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic revealed gaps in high-level supervision of laboratories.
The officials concluded: “Both members and witnesses noted the lack of clear standards for the design, construction and operation of high-containment laboratories.
‘(This) increases the risk of research-related accidents.’
They called on the US to standardize the regulation of laboratories to prevent further accidents, which could potentially trigger a new pandemic.
The new investigation will enter the political arena, with eight Democratic committee members and seven Republican committee members.
It comes after DailyMail.com reported how America experiences a ‘surprisingly high’ number of laboratory leak incidents every year at the top virus labs.
Official data shows that more than 600 ‘controlled’ pathogens – possibly including anthrax, tuberculosis and Ebola – have been released in the US in the eight years to 2022, amounting to 70 to 100 releases per year.
At least two U.S. workers were infected after “release events” over the past eight years — including the crippling mosquito-borne virus Chikungunya and the bacterial infection Q fever — although no deaths were reported.
Many of the incidents were caused by scientists spilling the contents of test tubes, not wearing safety equipment properly and suffering bites and scratches from infected animals.
All were at risk of diseases accidentally entering the community, where the pathogens could cause the next pandemic.