In a surprising move, the White House has redirected COVID.gov—a site that once offered testing, vaccine, and Long COVID resources—to a new landing page titled “Lab Leak: True Origins of COVID-19.” The new site presents five points supporting the theory that the pandemic began due to a lab accident in Wuhan, China.
These arguments echo a December 2024 report from the Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. But it’s important to note—there has never been a scientific consensus or definitive proof on how the virus first emerged. The five claims include: COVID-19 has a biological feature “not found in nature.” All cases trace back to a “single introduction” into humans. Wuhan is home to China’s top SARS lab. Researchers there were reportedly ill with COVID-like symptoms in late 2019. And if the virus had a natural origin, the evidence would have “already surfaced.”
The site also revives a controversial claim that former NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci influenced early research to downplay the lab leak theory. But Fauci, under oath in 2024, called those allegations “absolutely false, and simply preposterous.” The page goes further—criticizing the federal COVID response, including lockdowns, masking, and even New York’s handling of the crisis. It also features a photo of Fauci and President Biden’s pardon for him. This isn’t the first time the lab leak theory has taken center stage. But amidst the ongoing tariff war between the two countries, this report by The White House adds fuel to the currently delicate geopolitical environment.
