NIH Director: China Should Be ‘Transparent’ if ‘They Are Offended’ Amid Search for COVID-19 Origins
The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis Collins, is advising China to be more transparent if they take offense to “all of these insinuations” amid the search for the origins of COVID-19. CNN’s John…
The head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Francis Collins, is advising China to be more transparent if they take offense to “all of these insinuations” amid the search for the origins of COVID-19.
CNN’s John Berman pointed out recent comments made by former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Robert Redfield about scientists not being open to the lab leak theory early enough.
“I guess if I am disappointed about anything about the early scientific community, it’s that there seemed to be lack of openness to pursue both hypotheses,” Redfield said.
When asked if he thinks that is fair, Collins replied, “Not entirely.”
He reflected on a meeting that occurred including himself and Dr. Anthony Fauci on February 1, 2020, “where the experts on analyzing the genome sequence of this virus got together on a conference call to look at every detail to say, ‘Could this have been human engineered?'”
Collins added, “Ultimately after a lot of back and forth … the conclusion was no.”
Watch his remarks below (starting at 4:00):
He claimed their minds were “open then and they’re open now.” Collins also explained the lab leak theory and the theory of natural origins are both possible.
“We call on China to really open up, something they have not done and to be more transparent about what could be known there and if they’re offended by all of these insinuations, well their best protection is to be transparent,” Collins said.