Senate grills witnesses on conflicting theories about COVID origins
- Senate hearings held to investigate the origins of COVID-19.
- Conflicting theories discussed, including Chinese lab origin and natural emergence.
- Witnesses grilled by senators, including Dr. Robert Garry by Sen. Rand Paul.
During the pandemic, questions about the origin of the virus were dismissed as conspiracy theories. Fauci and others believe the virus originated from an animal species. Republican senators criticized Garry for citing a zoonotic origin of the pandemic. Questions remain about what happened in Wuhan, China, with some suggesting a lab leak. Garry and others argue that the virus likely originated from a bat to an intermediate animal to a human. Senator Rand Paul grilled Dr. Robert Garry for his lack of open-mindedness on the origins of COVID-19, suggesting the virus could have been adapted in a lab. Paul also targeted Fauci and others for their handling of the lab leak theory. Garry countered by pointing to evidence of COVID-19 spillover at the Wuhan food market.