The Biden administration is facing scrutiny over a recently revealed report from the Defense Department. This report, dated December 2022, indicates that seven U.S. military members may have contracted COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, as early as October 2019. This finding contradicts earlier claims from the administration that there was no evidence of any American participants contracting the virus during the 2019 World Military Games held in Wuhan.
The report examined the health of U.S. athletes and staff who attended the games. It noted that from October 18, 2019, to January 21, 2020, seven service members showed symptoms similar to COVID-19. While the report suggests these symptoms could have been caused by other respiratory infections, it is significant because it raises questions about the timeline of the virus’s spread.
The Biden administration was legally required to release this report over two years ago, but it was not made public until recently when the Trump administration uploaded it to the Department of Defense website. This delay has drawn criticism, especially in light of the ongoing discussions about the origins of COVID-19.
Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa expressed her concerns, stating that taxpayers deserve transparency regarding the origins of the virus. She emphasized that if Americans were infected in Wuhan in October 2019, it challenges the narrative that the pandemic began at a wet market just two months later.
The U.S. team traveled to the games using chartered flights, landing at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Washington state was one of the first areas in the U.S. to experience a spike in COVID-19 cases. Reports from athletes at the games also suggest that many experienced illness, with some claiming their symptoms resembled those of COVID-19.
In May 2020, various athletes from different countries speculated that they may have contracted the virus at the games. For example, French pentathlete Elodie Clouvel and her partner both reported severe illness after returning home. Other athletes echoed similar experiences, raising further questions about the timeline of the virus’s emergence.
As the investigation into COVID-19’s origins continues, this report adds another layer to the discussion. The implications of these findings could influence public understanding of when and how the virus began spreading globally.