US officials suspect China's involvement in crafting WHO COVID-19 origin report

On Sunday, officials of the Biden administration expressed their concern over a crucial report that examines the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. The administration suspects that there might be a possibility of the Chinese government's involvement in writing it. The findings from the World Health Organization's mission to Wuhan, China, in early 2021 will be ready in a few days.

US has 'real concerns'

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly said that the US has real concerns about the methodology and the process of the report. He added that the Chinese government apparently helped to write it. Blinken further said that there needs to be accountability for the past and the focus should be on building a stronger system for the future. 

American physician Dr Anthony Fauci reportedly said that he would not pre-judge the conclusions as he is not aware if the reports are “whitewash”. He added that as there are lots of speculation, he would prefer to see the reports first. 

US Asks China For More Data On COVID-19 Origin Report

Earlier, the United States expressed it's ‘deep concerns' about the WHO report concluding the coronavirus origin probe in Wuhan. On February 13, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan in a statement asked China to turn in ‘raw data’ from the initial days of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Sullivan's remarks came after an Australian infectious diseases expert on the WHO-led investigation team, Dominic Dwyer, told broadcasters in a live interview that China refused to hand over the data from the time when the first 174 COVID-19 cases were identified in Wuhan. 

"We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them. It is imperative that this report be independent, with expert findings free from intervention or alteration by the Chinese government," US National Security advisor, Sullivan, said in a statement.

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