The United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that he has a "completely open mind" about the possibility of the coronavirus' origins, adding that scientific evidence strongly suggests the lab leak theory.
The medical expert's remarks were made during a Sunday interview when he was asked about China's transparency regarding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also talked about how the Asian nation's leading Chinese Communist Party (CCP) handled calls for investigation from other nations worldwide.
Anthony Fauci on COVID-19 Origins
Fauci noted that medical officials were open-minded about the potential origins of the coronavirus. However, he noted that mounting scientific evidence, particularly ones from peer-reviewed journals published by highly qualified international scientists with no political agendas, strongly suggests the disease originated from the Wuhan market's animals.
But Fauci said that they do not suggest there was "something funny" happening and that the virus was leaked. Fauci argued there was a crucial need to investigate every single possibility because the situation was far too important otherwise, as per Fox News.
During the interview, Fauci also criticized China's alleged lack of transparency during queries about the COVID-19 pandemic's origins. He argued that authorities' refusal to cooperate garnered suspicion if there may have any reason for such a situation.
The medical expert's remarks come as he recently announced that he would be stepping down from his position as the chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAIAD) in December. Despite this, Republican lawmakers are expected to keep Fauci on Capitol Hill with hearings.
According to Politico, during a previous interview, Fauci also criticized the Chinese government's strict, ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic, protocols that sparked protests among citizens in China. He said that officials' guidelines were very severe and "rather draconian" in nature with how they utilized shutdowns without a seeming purpose.
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China's Coronavirus Response
On Sunday, the coordinator of the White House's COVID-19 response, Ashish Jha, said that lockdowns and China's zero-COVID policy are going to be very difficult to sustain. The remarks lean on growing discontent among Chinese residents who are exhausted with seemingly never-ending lockdowns and mass testing protocols.
Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, government officials adopted the zero-COVID policy against the pandemic. It has resulted in widespread lockdowns and travel restrictions in recent days, drawing ire from many citizens.
A member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said on Sunday that he did not yet know whether the protests in China would amount to a real threat against Xi Jinping's leadership, who has secured a historic third term.
Meanwhile, members of the GOP have previously expressed their intentions of investigating both Fauci and the origins of the health crisis, now that Republicans have secured a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.
The health expert said that right-wing lawmakers have said they want him to testify, something that he said he was willing to do, However, he noted that many Republicans have "politicized" the virus for their own agendas, Rolling Stone reported.
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