The origins of the COVID-19 virus are still a matter of debate and investigation, but there are currently two main theories:
- Lab leak theory: This theory suggests that the virus may have accidentally leaked from a laboratory, possibly the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is known to have been conducting research on coronaviruses, including bat coronaviruses. Proponents of this theory argue that the virus shows evidence of being genetically engineered, and that its high transmission rate and unusual features suggest that it may have been manipulated in a laboratory.
- Natural origin theory: This theory suggests that the virus originated in bats and was transmitted to humans through an intermediate animal host, possibly a pangolin. Scientists believe that the virus may have jumped from animals to humans at a wildlife market in Wuhan, China, where the first cases were reported in December 2019. The natural origin theory is supported by the fact that the virus shares a high degree of genetic similarity with coronaviruses found in bats.
It is important to note that the laboratory leak theory used to be considered a minority view among scientists, and the overwhelming majority of evidence used to support the natural origin theory. Investigations into the origins of the virus are ongoing, and new information may emerge that sheds light on its true origins.
Suppression of the Lab Leak Theory
There have been claims and debates about whether the lab leak theory was suppressed by social media and mainstream media. At the beginning of the pandemic, the lab leak theory was largely dismissed by many experts, as the evidence seemed to point towards a natural origin. Social media companies, such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter, removed or labeled posts misinformation related to the lab leak theory.
Similarly, some media outlets have been criticized for downplaying or dismissing the lab leak theory. Many media outlets lightly touched the theory and its potential implications. There were serious efforts to limit discussion of the lab leak theory and now the theory is being investigated by scientific and government bodies.
Its important to understand the timeline of the lab-leak theory:
- Nov/Dec 2019: COVID-19 Started in Wuhan China
- February 2020: Senator Tom Cotton talks about the lab leak theory
- February 2020: New York Post article about the lab leak theory is suppressed
- March 2020: Scientists sign an open letter condemning the lab leak theory
- April 2020: Trump is pro lab leak theory with Fauci disagreeing with him
- January 2021: new info about 3 researchers at the lab became ill in May 2019 with COVID-19 like symptoms
- February 2021: WHO visits the lab says “extremely unlikely” it escaped from lab
- May 2021: Scientists publish open letter stating both theories must be investigated
- June 2021: Fauci still insists its from natural origin, but finally states it could be a lab leak
- July 2021: Fauci and Senator Rand Paul argue of COVID-19 origins and gain of function research
- July 2022: Scientists state that the virus most likely originated from a Huanan Market naturally
- October 2022: Senate republicans release report saying COVID-19 most likely released from a lab leak
- February 2023: Department of Energy stated that COVID-19 most likely originated from a lab leak
The lab leak theory was circulating by Tom Cotton who is a republican senator and by the New York Post’s article early into the pandemic. Before the shutdowns started in mid-March both of those sources knew that this theory was somewhat likely to be possible. They wouldn’t risk their credibility and put a target on their back if they didn’t believe in what they were talking about.
COVID-19 Response and Lab Leak
Genuinely real disgust exists in the fact that social media platforms, scientists, Fauci, and mainstream media denied the theory within 2 months into the pandemic. Unsure of its origins they were steadfast and fully headstrong that it was impossible for the virus to be released by a lab leak incident. After 3 years later from the beginning of the pandemic there has been mountains of information released surround the virus:
- Fauci, NIH (NIAID), EcoHealth, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology were involved with each other
- Grants were provided by the National Institute of Health to the Wuhan Lab
- Fauci was a proponent of providing grants from NIH to Ecohealth going to the Wuhan lab
- EcoHealth Alliance failed to comply with previous grant terms
- EcoHealth canceled a sub award to the Wuhan Institute of Virology due to safety concerns
- Hospitals were paid more for dealing with COVID-19 illnesses and people on ventilators
- Patients on a ventilator have higher mortality rates than patients without a ventilator
- Fauci and Collins wrote to each other trying to disparage the lab leak theory
- FDA wanted to wait 76 years to release the full Pfizer study on the vaccine
- Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency sued the FDA to release the documents
- Court Judge Mark Pittman of Texas ordered the FDA to release the documents faster
- Adverse effects were reported by Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J Vaccines
- J&J Vaccines may have caused thrombosis with thrombocytopenia
- mRNA Vaccines may have a rare risk of myocarditis and/or pericarditis
As we see from above the health departments FDA, WHO, and CDC acted improperly and lost the trust of millions of Americans. Why they lost the trust of millions of people in America mostly has to do with the secretive emails between each other. Other factors include trying to discredit and shame anyone who has a conflicting view. The overstating deaths due to COVID-19 and hailing the vaccines as godly also didn’t help.
The strict COVID lockdowns, shutting down the lab leak theory, seesawing on masking, calling everything disinformation, using celebrities for vaccinations, discrediting natural immunity, and a whole host of other things caused the public to begin questioning these organizations. Serious damage has been done to health departments everywhere due to the heights of enforcement, secrecy, and exclusivity. It was definitely a time where people became afraid to speak, go out, or have contradicting opinions.
Plandemic Conspiracy
Additional conspiracy theories floated around about the “plandemic” with theorists believing this pandemic was staged. There is a 26 min video titled Plandemic: The Hidden Agenda Behind Covid-19. It promotes the conspiracist claim vaccines are money-making enterprises that cause harm, and themes of loss of free speech and free choice. It takes the form of an interview between the producer Mikki Willis and former researcher Judy Mikovits, with unsupported and false statements about the virus, the disease it causes, and her own controversial history.
The problem with conspiracies is that there’s hints of truth inside of them. For example, there really was a loss of free speech and free choice. People weren’t allowed to speak their minds as they would be hailed as monsters. Americans wouldn’t even be allowed to enter government buildings, restaurants, movie theatres, or even hospitals without a COVID-19 vaccination. This was pure authoritarianism masked as a public health emergency. Especially now that we can look at it retrospectively and understand that the virus wasn’t as deadly as we originally believed it to be.
The last true part of the conspiracy is that pharmaceutical companies really did make a lot of money from the pandemic. Pfizer made $100 billion in record profit with $37.8 billion coming strictly from the vaccines. Moderna also made up to $19 billion on sales for their vaccine. These companies were not as influential in the past and the COVID-19 pandemic definitely surged them to the top charts.
Here lies the biggest issue, some conspiracy claims can have ounces of truth, but be buried with tons of lies. Yes it’s true we lost our ability for free speech and free choice. Yes it’s true that these companies raked in billions of dollars from everyone else’s suffering. However, it does not mean that the entire world is coordinating with each other to create a new world order. Is it possible? Absolutely. Is it likely? Maybe.
The reality of the situation is that public sentiment has to reach our lawmakers and it will be impossible for that to happen if everyone is loony on the thought that everyone’s trying to get them. It’s okay to be skeptical, its okay to understand the profits in healthcare, its okay to question your government, its okay to make your own decisions, and its okay to have free speech. The thing that’s not okay is preying on people’s insecurity and ignorance to falsify their understanding of the world.
Conspiracy theories are wonderful and can provide some thought provoking commentary with entertainment. However, there needs to be a fine line of logic to separate yourself from going too deep into the rabbit hole. Let’s get back on track with the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the lab leak theory.
Wuhan Institute of Virology and Lab Leak
There have been reports of safety concerns at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in the past. The WIV is a biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory, which is the highest level of biological safety, and is designed to handle the most dangerous pathogens.
In 2018, a team of US diplomats visited the WIV and raised concerns about the laboratory’s safety protocols and management. They reported that the lab was understaffed, undertrained, and lacked proper safety procedures. They also expressed concerns about the potential for a viral outbreak from the laboratory.
Additionally, in January 2021, a World Health Organization team that investigated the origins of the virus in Wuhan expressed concern about the lab’s safety protocols, stating that there were areas for improvement.
There have been reports of accidents and leaks at other laboratories in China, including the National Institute of Virology in Beijing and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Harbin. These incidents have raised concerns about the safety and security of Chinese laboratories in general.
Lab Leak Theory Possible
Some theories suggest that a natural origin for the COVID-19 virus is less likely because of several features of the virus that are unusual and unexpected in a naturally occurring virus.
One feature of the virus that has been pointed out is the presence of a furin cleavage site, a specific molecular feature that allows the virus to enter human cells more easily. This feature is not typically found in coronaviruses that infect animals, and some scientists argue that it could be the result of genetic engineering.
Another unusual feature of the virus is its high transmissibility. The virus spreads easily from person to person and can be transmitted by individuals who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. This level of transmissibility is unusual for a naturally occurring virus and has led some to speculate that the virus may have been intentionally or accidentally engineered to enhance its ability to infect humans.
Finally, the fact that the virus emerged in Wuhan, China, near a laboratory that was known to be conducting research on coronaviruses, including bat coronaviruses, has led some to speculate that the virus may have accidentally escaped from the laboratory.
It is important to note that these are just theories, and there is no conclusive evidence to support the idea that the virus has an artificial origin or that it escaped from a laboratory. The majority of scientific evidence still supports the idea that the virus has a natural origin, but investigations into the origins of the virus are ongoing, and new information may emerge that sheds light on the true origins of the virus.
Horseshoe Bats
The natural origin theory revolves around the fact that the horseshoe bats were the original reservoirs of the virus. Scientists were guessing that the bats gave the virus to an intermediary host which then transferred the virus to humans. The intermediary host is thought to have been in the wet markets in China and theories about the intermediary host are that it may have been a pangolin.
The horseshoe bats that are believed to be the natural reservoirs for coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 are found in various parts of China, including southern China, which is several hundred miles away from Wuhan. It is difficult to give an exact distance between Wuhan and the location where the horseshoe bats are found because these bats are found in different regions, depending on the specific species. However, some estimates suggest that the distance between Wuhan and the nearest known location of horseshoe bats is around 600 miles.
It is important to note that while the bats may not be located very far from Wuhan, the exact location where the virus first jumped from bats to humans is still unknown, and it is possible that the virus may have passed through an intermediate host before infecting humans. Investigations into the origins of the virus are ongoing, and new information may emerge that provides more insight into how the virus first emerged.
Pangolins as Intermediary Hosts
There is an extensive article researching the animals sold on the wet markets in Wuhan and specifically during the timeframe before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Conclusions were drawn regarding the 47,000+ animals from 38 different species sold in the wet markets within a specific time period. It appears that the pangolin intermediary host theory is highly unlikely from the information gathered from the animals sold at the wet markets from May 2017 to November 2019.
Bats and pangolins were not sold as often as previously thought from the natural origin theory. In the study no bats or pangolins were documented from several wet markets involving multiple shops with thousands of animals from 38 different species. Another article written by Professor David Macdonald also notes that during the investigations into the origins of COVID-19 there was no evidence of the spill-over from the original candidates including bats or pangolins.
It is possible that pangolins were an intermediate host for the virus. Genetic sequencing has shown that the virus is closely related to coronaviruses found in pangolins. However, There is no current evidence to suggest that pangolins are directly transmitting COVID-19 to humans. It is still unclear exactly how the virus first jumped from animals to humans.
Even the Center of Disease Control website states that virus transmission from animals to humans is rare. In most cases documented by the CDC it states that humans most likely were the ones who transmitted the virus to animals. The animals documented being infected with the virus are white-tailed deer, mule deer, a black-tailed marmoset, a giant anteater, wild mink near mink farms, pet hamsters, and a cat.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world, leading to widespread illness, death, and economic disruption. The origins of the virus are still being investigated, and there are two main theories: the natural origin theory and the lab leak theory.
The natural origin theory suggests that the virus jumped from animals to humans, potentially through an intermediate host such as a pangolin. While there is evidence to support this theory, the exact origins of the virus are still unknown. It’s also fairly important to note that the bats in question to have given the virus to an intermediary host are located 600 miles away from the epicenter of the original outbreak.
The lab leak theory suggests that the virus may have accidentally escaped from a laboratory, specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where research on bat coronaviruses was being conducted. While there is currently no definitive evidence to support this theory, it is still being investigated.
It is important to note that both theories are subject to ongoing investigation and debate, and new information may emerge that sheds more light on the origins of the virus. Regardless of the origin, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of preparedness, surveillance, and international cooperation in responding to global health threats. This pandemic has also created heavy distrust of local populations against their government, government officials, and leaders of health organizations.
Much still is not understood about the pandemic and COVID-19, but the truth always has a way of getting revealed. Some important things to note is that the virus is well-known to mostly affect the obese and the elderly. The virus seems to affect people very differently with sporadic in population yet pattern-like symptoms. Changes in the virus from its Delta variant to the omicron variant has made it more transmissible, but less severe.
Natural immunity is currently taking a hold of the news with additional information surrounds the effectiveness of natural obtained immunity. Difficulties in the public eye have garnered with this issue because natural immunity was highly disregarded with the vaccine being pushed to prevent the spread.
Regardless of the controversies and profit from the events that transpired its important to note humanity is one step closer to being more prepared. If a more deadly pathogen which was more transmissible emerges, humanity may have the necessary knowledge to combat it. Humanity will continue to endure the struggles and prevail by adapting to its necessities.