Trump reignites blame game over pandemic's origins
Donald Trump claims that the COVID-19 pandemic started with a leak from an American laboratory, sparking a new wave of accusations between the United States and China.
Donald Trump has once again sparked controversy by claiming that the COVID-19 pandemic started with a leak from an American laboratory. This statement is in response to allegations from China suggesting that the virus did not originate in Wuhan but rather in the United States.
During a press conference at the White House, Trump suggested that the virus might have been spread by a scientist who had lunch with a girl.
"I said that right from day one it leaked out, whether it was to the girlfriend or somebody else, [a] scientist walked outside to have lunch with the girlfriend or was together with a lot of people, but that’s how it leaked out in my opinion," said Trump, as quoted by ladbible.com.
Trump signed an executive order banning the funding of "gain-of-function" research in countries like China and Iran. This research involves modifying pathogens to increase their infectivity and virulence.
The White House announced on platform X that the President has signed an executive order aimed at protecting Americans from the risks associated with dangerous gain-of-function research.
The order aims to protect Americans from laboratory accidents and other biosecurity incidents that could lead to another pandemic. The document cites COVID-19 as an example of such threats.
Previously, US intelligence suggested that the virus could have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which China firmly refutes.
COVID-19 changed the world
In December 2019, the first cases of a mysterious respiratory illness appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan. It was soon discovered that the cause was a new coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease it caused was named COVID-19. Initially, few people suspected that in just a few months, the virus would spread worldwide, leading to a global pandemic.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic. Countries around the world implemented lockdowns – restricting movement, closing schools, borders, and workplaces. Hospitals began to fill, and medical professionals found themselves on the frontline of the battle against the unknown virus.
The pandemic affected every aspect of life: the economy, education, healthcare, social interactions, and the mental health of millions. Remote work and learning became the norm, while protective masks became a daily necessity. The pandemic also brought immense challenges - misinformation, social tensions, and crises in healthcare.
