Dr Anthony Fauci is not convinced that COVID-19 developed naturally

Dr Fauci is in support of further investigation to look into the SARS-CoV-2 origins.

Dr Anthony Fauci, America's leading immunologist and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the origins of SARS-CoV-2 warrant further investigation. Fauci had previously dismissed the possibility of the virus originating from a laboratory. However, recently speaking to PoliticoFact's managing editor, he did not rule out the theory and stated that the U.S. should probe further to determine "what went on in China."

SARS-CoV-2, initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in 2019, has rapidly spread to the rest of the world. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. To date, 167 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and over 3.4 million people have died.

Almost a year later, in February 2021, WHO, and Chinese scientists, submitted a report after investigating the origins of COVID-19. The team concluded that it was unlikely the virus originated from a laboratory. However, as the team could not access raw data, some experts question the conclusion of the findings. To date, no organization has found conclusive proof of the development of SARS-CoV-2.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.

Reference links

politifact

supports

CNN

supports

New York Times

supports

World Health Organization

neutral

Have a question or correction on one of our fact-checks?

If you think a claim has been misjudged or requires correction, please send us evidence to support your error claim. We will revisit our evidence and verdict and conduct additional research to verify new information.

Fact Check of the Day

false

The BBC censored the crowd booing Boris Johnson at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.