Ex-WHO adviser: US should ‘keep pressing’ for COVID answers

(NewsNation) — President Joe Biden has still not made public a declassified report on the origins of COVID-19, despite a June 18 deadline to do so.

However, new reporting from the Wall Street Journal is emerging that identifies three scientists who worked at a lab in Wuhan, China, and got sick in November 2019 with symptoms matching COVID.

Jamie Metzl, who served on a World Health Organization advisory committee, says it would be a “significant” development if the information is accurate. He called on U.S. authorities to “keep pressing” for answers, particularly from the Chinese government.

“If it should be proven, as some people have alleged, that one of these three scientists was patient zero of COVID-19, that would 100% prove the research-related origin hypothesis,” Metzl said Tuesday on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “We’re not there yet, but that’s why we need to keep digging.”

The declassified intelligence report should shed more light, even though U.S. intelligence agencies are split on the virus’ origin. The FBI and Department of Energy believe it was the result of a lab leak, while other agencies point to natural occurrence from a wet market.

The uncertainty has created a deep political divide in Washington and across the country. But people on both sides of the aisle agree: China has been engaging in subterfuge.

“Every person on earth should be absolutely outraged at this unbelievable cover-up involving destroying samples, hiding records, imprisoning journalists. There’s a gag order on Chinese scientists,” Metzl said. “We would know the origins of COVID-19 now but for the politically-motivated Chinese government. But that doesn’t mean that we can do nothing. We need to be pressing with every opportunity.”

He urged whistleblower protections for Chinese nationals who have pertinent information.

“People in China want to speak up,” Metzl said. “We need to be working with the World Health Organization. We just need to keep pressing. It would be better if we had cooperation, but we don’t.”