Pompeo slams China over COVID-19 origin, shares ‘new information’ concerning Wuhan lab

While World Health Organisation (WHO) team landed in Wuhan, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on January 15 alleged that re was COVID-like illness among staff at a Chinese virology institute in autumn 2019. In a press statement, top US Official again blamed Beijing for outbreak of deadly virus and urged WHO to “press government of China” on “new information”. 15-member international team of health experts had arrived in China on Thursday and y are taken with probing into origins of lethal coronavirus infection that has killed nearly two billion people across globe. 

Pompeo said, “ United States government has reason to believe that several researchers inside (Wuhan Institute of Virology) became sick in autumn 2019, before first identified case of outbreak, with symptoms consistent with both Covid-19 and common seasonal illnesses”. 

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Furr, he said that this contradicted reports that ne of staff at institute had contracted COVID-19 or related virus. Pompeo added that Beijing continues to withhold vital information that scientists need to protect world from this deadly virus, and next one. top US diplomat also claimed that Wuhan Institute of Virology, which presents itself as a civilian institute, has “collaborated on publications and secret projects with China’s military”. 

“ WIV has engd in classified research, including laboratory animal experiments, on behalf of Chinese military since at least 2017,” Pompeo said. 

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Two WHO members test positive 

unprecedented coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019 and since it has infected tens of millions of people across globe. Trump administration has repeatedly blamed China for outbreak with President routinely calling it “China Virus”. WHO, on or hand, has said that establishing pathway of virus from animals to humans is essential to preventing future outbreaks. 

Meanwhile, upon arrival in Wuhan, two members of international team have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. According to WHO, 15-member team had undergone COVID-19 tests in ir home countries prior to leaving for Wuhan, however, upon reaching Singapore, two members of team tested positive for Immuglobulin M (IgM) antibodies, but negative for PCR. WHO has said that two scientists are still in Singapore undergoing tests for COVID-19 for both IgM and IgG antibodies.

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