U.S. congressional subcommittee on COVID-19: The virus likely originated from an accidental leak in a Wuhan lab

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic of the U.S. House of Representatives has released a final report summarizing its two years of work. The 520-page document analyzes the origin of the virus, as well as the legality and adequacy of the U.S. government's response to the pandemic.

The main conclusions reached by the subcommittee were:

• The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 likely originated from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, as indicated by the biological characteristics of the virus and the spread of the disease among researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the fall of 2019. The virus “likely emerged because of a laboratory or research-related accident.”
• Most U.S. intelligence agencies believe the virus has not been genetically modified. No U.S. federal agency believes the virus was created as a biological weapon. Exactly how the pandemic started remains unclear.
• The World Health Organization allowed Chinese authorities to control the investigation into the origin of the virus and put China's political interests ahead of helping people around the world.
• EcoHealth Alliance, an NGO that awarded grants from the U.S. government to various laboratories, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology, did not properly oversee the research it funded.
• The social distancing and mask regime implemented in the U.S. early on in the pandemic and kept in place in some states for more than a year were not evidence-based, and the prolonged quarantines did “immeasurable harm” not only to the American economy but also to the mental and physical health of Americans, especially young people.
• The vaccine prevents the severe effects of infection, but its ability to prevent the spread of the virus has been overestimated.

In a letter to Congress, subcommittee chair Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) wrote: “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a distrust in leadership. We can always do better, and for the sake of future generations of Americans, we must. Trust is earned. Accountability, transparency, honesty, and integrity will regain this trust. A future pandemic requires a whole of America response managed by those without personal benefit or bias.”