COVID report: US says virus ‘most likely’ came from Wuhan lab, vaccines didn’t stop transmission

A two-year investigation carried out by a US select subcommittee has released its highly anticipated report on COVID, sharing findings on its source, the response and vaccines.

“There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID,” is just one of the many damning statements in the report from one of the largest-ever investigations into the COVID-19 outbreak.

The two-year investigation, carried out by the Republican-controlled House Select Subcommittee, looked into the source, government response, vaccines, social distancing, lockdowns and more, concluding that the US government mismanaged the pandemic.

Origin of COVID pandemic

The 520-page final report titled After Action Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward declared, “COVID-19 most likely emerged from a laboratory in Wuhan, China”.

It gave five key reasons to support the argument.

1. The virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature.
2. Data shows that all COVID-19 cases stem from a single introduction into humans. This runs contrary to previous pandemics where there were multiple spillover events.
3. Wuhan is home to China’s foremost SARS research lab, which has a history of conducting gain-of-function research at inadequate biosafety levels.
4. Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers were sick with a COVID-like virus in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was discovered at the wet market.
5. By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin, it would have already surfaced.

Failures in government response to COVID pandemic

The report went on to criticise government relief funding, claiming that both federal and state governments failed to identify waste and fraud, leading to “abuse of taxpayer dollars during the pandemic”.

The House Select Subcommittee was damning in its criticism of the World Health Organisation (WHO), saying the group’s response was an “abject failure”.

The report accused WHO of caving to “pressure from the Chinese Communist Party and placed China’s political interests ahead of its international duties”.

The bombshell report said social distancing and mask mandates were not “based on science” and the lack of conclusive evidence supporting the advice made by officials caused “a massive uptick in public distrust”.

The report attacked lockdowns, saying they caused “mental and physical” harm to Americans, especially younger citizens, as well as causing “immeasurable harm” to the economy.

Vaccines and treatments used during the COVID pandemic

The report was glowing about then-President Donald Trump’s move to initiate Operation Warp Speed to fast-track the development of a COVID vaccine; however, it claimed that the vaccine eventually developed and given to Americans “did not stop the spread or transmission of the virus”.

The committee blamed the FDA for rushing the approval process and said concerns over the likelihood of adverse events were “ignored”.

The Biden administration was criticised in the findings for mandating the vaccine, with the committee saying the directive was “not supported by science and caused more harm than good.”

Social impact of the COVID pandemic and government response

The report was damning on the effect shutting schools down had on children, saying, “The ‘science’ never justified prolonged school closures”.

“Children experienced historic learning loss, higher rates of psychological distress, and decreased physical well-being.”

The committee claimed that the long term impacts of America’s COVID response had led to children losing “decades worth of academic progress” and adding that mental and physical health concerns had “skyrocketed”.

The select subcommittee had sent over 100 investigative letters, conducted more than 30 interviews and depositions, carried out hearings and meetings, as well as reviewing over a million pages of documents.

“This work will help the United States, and the world, predict the next pandemic, prepare for the next pandemic, protect ourselves from the next pandemic, and hopefully prevent the next pandemic.

“Members of the 119th Congress should continue and build off this work, there is more information to find and honest actions to be taken,” wrote Chairman Brad Wenstrup in a letter to Congress.