Three Wuhan scientists, Ben Hu, Ping Yu, and Yan Zhu, are reportedly identified as Covid "patient zero"

Recently, an investigation by journalists Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi has claimed that three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China were suspected as the source of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the investigation, these researchers, named Ben Hu, Ping Yu, and Yan Zhu, were allegedly the first to test positive for COVID-19. They were reportedly conducting research on SARS-like viruses and engaging in "gain-of-function" experiments, which involve genetically altering organisms to increase their infectiousness and better understand the dangers of pathogens.

In a Substack newsletter, Shellenberger and Taibbi cited multiple US government officials who claimed that the three scientists fell ill in the autumn of 2019, exhibiting symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illnesses. The US government had previously stated in a fact sheet, which is still available to read but now archived, that it had reason to believe several researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick before the first identified case of the outbreak.

However, it is important to note that the Department of Energy later concluded in February that it had "low confidence" in the theory that the virus responsible for the pandemic originated in a Chinese laboratory. Virologist Shi Zhengli, under whom Ben Hu had studied, has repeatedly denied the allegations and stated that her lab did not possess the strain that caused the pandemic.

In addition to these claims, The Sunday Times published an investigation suggesting that scientists in Wuhan collaborated with the Chinese military to combine deadly viruses before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The report alleged that the absence of published information on this work could be attributed to its classified nature and its collaboration with military researchers.

According to one source cited by The Sunday Times, the trail of papers related to this research "starts to go dark" around the time the classified program supposedly began. The individual expressed the view that the work may have been concealed due to military secrecy surrounding the Chinese army's pursuit of dual-use capabilities in virological biological weapons and vaccines. Another person stated that it was increasingly evident that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was involved in the creation, propagation, and cover-up of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is crucial to recognize that these allegations are part of an ongoing and complex investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientific community, international organizations, and governments are continuously examining and assessing various hypotheses, including the possibility of a zoonotic spillover event or a laboratory incident. As of now, the World Health Organization's joint study with Chinese scientists, released in March 2021, concluded that a laboratory incident was "extremely unlikely," while highlighting the need for further investigation and access to relevant data.

Determining the exact origins of the coronavirus remains a challenging task, and conclusive evidence is yet to be established. Rigorous and transparent scientific investigations are crucial in order to better understand the emergence of this pandemic and prevent future outbreaks.