Republicans and Democrats have launched a ‘groundbreaking’ probe into the origins of Covid — amid mounting evidence the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan.
The 15-member Senate committee will look into the threat of deadly viruses escaping from high-security research labs in the US and abroad.
It will also investigate how taxpayer dollars have been spent to fund research, including risky gain-of-function experiments, whereby animal viruses are gentially altered to make them more infectious among humans.
Rand Paul, a Senator for Kentucky and Chairman of the committee behind the new inquiry, said: ‘It is well past time for the Senate to conduct a bipartisan inquiry into the origins of Covid.
‘I’ve been banging on the doors of federal agencies for the past three years, relentlessly seeking information on Covid, but it’s been nothing short of a wild goose chase.
The 15-member Senate committee will look into the threat of deadly viruses escaping from high security labs where research is carried out. Some argue that Covid escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (pictured above)
Democrat Gary Peters (left) and Republican Rand Paul are leading the investigation
He added: ‘To prevent repeating past mistakes, it’s crucial we fully comprehend the dangers of engaging in potentially hazardous bioresearch.’
The probe comes after several US agencies — including the Department of Energy and officials at the State Department — suggested Covid had leaked from a lab.
On Wednesday morning, a top-ranking scientist in Australia also added their voice to the theory, suggesting the lab leak theory was a ‘credible possibility’.
Scientists and experts, including Government officials, have been warning for years risky research carried out at high-level labs could accidentally cause a deadly disease outbreak.
Federal data shows about 70 to 100 release incidents are reported every year in which a virus or disease is thought to have escaped outside of its ‘primary containment’ — raising the risk of a potential outbreak.
The above graph shows the number of lab leak incidents recorded in the US every year, where a disease was released outside of its primary containment (or test tube)
Between 2015 and 2023, at least seven US entities supplied NIH grant money to labs in China performing animal experiments, totaling $3,306,061
Sen Gary Peters, a Democrat from Michigan and committee chairman, said: ‘Biotechnologies are rapidly advancing, and our understanding of biological risks and threats is constantly evolving.
‘While many of these advancements have the potential to greatly benefit Americans, we must also ensure we are addressing and minimizing the serious risks they can also pose to our health and national security.
‘This bipartisan oversight effort will allow us to take a comprehensive look at whether the federal government is taking the necessary steps to keep Americans safe from current and future biological threats.’
For its investigation, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is set to hold hearings involving a range of officials and experts on lab regulatory oversight.
It will also likely call a number of high-ranking officials to explain how labs are regulated and whether more oversight is required.
The committee will conclude by publishing a report detailing its findings.
A start date for the investigation is yet to be set.
A hearing on regulation of the labs in October 2023 by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic revealed holes in the oversight of high level laboratories.
The officials concluded: ‘Both members and witnesses noted the lack of clear standards for design, construction and operation of high-containment laboratories.
‘[This] increases the risk of research-related accidents.’
They called for the US to standardize its regulation of laboratories in order to prevent further accidents, which could potentially start another pandemic.
The new investigation will cross the political aisle, with eight Democrat committee members and seven Republican.
It comes after DailyMail.com reported how America suffers a ‘startlingly high’ number of lab leak incidents at its top virus labs every year.
Official data reveals more than 600 releases of ‘controlled’ pathogens – which may include anthrax, tuberculosis and Ebola – were recorded in the US over the eight years to 2022, equivalent to 70 to 100 releases every year.
At least two US workers were infected after the ‘release events’ over the last 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 correctly and suffering bites and scratches from infected animals.
All ran the risk of diseases being accidentally released into the community where the pathogens could start the next pandemic.
