United States top infectious diseases expert and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci brushed off the notion that SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus was concocted in a Chinese laboratory.
According to Fauci, looking at the evolution of the virus in bats and comparing it to the coronavirus strain which caused the pandemic, evidence indicates that it was not deliberately manipulated.
Moreover, Aljazeera stated that during an interview with the National Geographic Magazine, Fauci said that everything about the virus' stepwise evolution strongly suggests that SARS-CoV-2 or more commonly known as the novel coronavirus evolved naturally and then jumped from one species to another.
Meanwhile, Fauci's statements strongly contradict the previous claims of US President Donald Trump who said that he has seen evidence which made him very confident that the virus began inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The said institute is in very near proximity to the Huanan Seafood Market where the first cases of COVID-19 were observed. Trump, however, is yet to provide and go into detail about his proclaimed evidence.
Pompeo: evidence shows virus is man-made
Supporting Trump's statement, on Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that there was a significant amount of evidence which points out that the virus emerged from a laboratory in China. However, he stressed that there is no evidence which indicates that the virus is man-made, supporting the statement of US-intelligence agencies.
On the other hand, the Wuhan Institute of Virology has repeatedly dismissed the allegations, and officials of the US have also downplayed the possibility that Trump and Pompeo's claims are true.
China has even called the allegations "insane" and told the US that they should focus on fighting the virus instead of playing the blame game.
Furthermore, experts in the scientific community believe that the virus was first transmitted from animals to humans in the Wuhan market which sold wildlife.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters outside the White House that the US would be releasing its report which details the origins of the virus. However, he did not give any other details or a timeline.
Meanwhile, top US general, general Mark Milley said in a different statement that it is still unknown whether the virus indeed emerged from the market, the virology institute, or elsewhere.
Fauci will testify in the Senate not the House
Trump also said on Tuesday, that Fauci would be permitted to appear before the Senate panel which examines the country's coronavirus response but he will not be testifying in the House of Representatives. It is known that the Senate is Republican-controlled whilst the House is led by the Democrats.
Trump defended his decision to stop Fauci from testifying in the house saying that the Democrats are setting him up and that their views on this might be politically motivated against him.
The infectious diseases expert is set to appear in the Health, Education, Labor and Pernsions committee of the Senate along with other US health officials who are on top of their fields on May 12.
