- The Telegraph has reported that the US in late 2020 shared significant evidence with the UK suggesting the COVID pandemic likely originated from a lab leak in China, but leaders from the “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance allegedly ignored the reports. The Telegraph
- From October to December 2020, then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly shared information collected at the start of the pandemic that "pointed to the high likelihood that this was indeed a lab leak." FOX News (LR: 4 CP: 4)
- In Jan. 2021, just before the Trump admin left, the "Five Eyes" nations — the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia — discussed the possibility of a lab leak, but leaders, including former UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, were reportedly unwilling to entertain the reports. The Telegraph
- The documents reported "consistent stonewalling" by China in the wake of COVID’s discovery. This was also the source for the first reports of the Chinese military working with the Wuhan Institute of Virology and that researchers had fallen ill right before the virus was publicly recorded. The Telegraph
- UK officials, including then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, continued to reject the lab leak theory in June 2021, and two former officials say the "Five Eyes" countries dismissed the evidence because then-US Pres. Donald Trump was politicizing COVID and its origins. Daily Mail (LR: 5 CP: 5)
- The lab leak theory remains a controversial topic worldwide. The Telegraph
Establishment-critical narrative:
- As time passes, it's becoming apparent that the lab-leak theory had more legs than the greater world knew during the first year of the pandemic. Sadly, the theory was ignored over time because officials in other countries didn't want to be associated with Trump. Vital evidence may have been lost while prominent governments were turning a blind eye.
NEWSMAX
Pro-establishment narrative:
- Governments haven't ruled out the lab leak theory, they're just being cautious about touting it while the scientific community continues to work on this difficult puzzle. It would be irresponsible to do otherwise.
INDEPENDENT (LR: 2 CP: 3)
Nerd narrative:
- There is a 9% chance that at least two public health agencies will claim that COVID-19 more likely than not originated in a laboratory before Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
METACULUS (LR: 3 CP: 3)