Where we are, and how we got here.
As most of America plans to reopen work, businesses and schools after
millions of COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered, the task at finding
the origin of the deadly virus that has caused a world-wide pandemic that
killed hundreds of thousands, continues.
In March of 2021 the Biden administration put together a COVID-19 task force,
the U.S. Intelligence Community, to determine the
origin of the virus.
The CDC estimates that of the roughly thirty-three million U.S. cases,
nearly 600,000 Americans
have died from the virus.
We all recall the lifestyle changes. Many jobs forced to shut down; schools closed
and pick and virtural learning became the norm. We recall the sacrifices many made
to stay safe, to distance
oneself from friends and family - just to stay alive.
While some took the virus seriously, others did not. The very ideal of mask wearing
became controversial,
even amid members of Congress.
Then came the vaccinations. After a year of sickness and many people losing
their loved ones, vaccinations finally became available. Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson
became the vaccine ‘first responders’, providing Americans with what is
believed to be life-saving doses of the Moderna vaccine. Amid side
effects and skepticism, Americans waited, for hours, in long lines to get
vaccinated and today, over 200 million doses have been administered.
[See:
Bats, labs, and other (un) likely origins of COVID-19]
But where did the COVID-19 virus come from?
The origin of the virus caused many in the Asian community to endure threats
and intimidation by other Americans due to the belief that China is believed to
be origin of the deadly plague. Congress, in less than sixty days, passed the COVID-19
Hate Crimes Bill which would require
a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to
facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and reports of hate crimes.
(See more.)
Today, the administration
issued a statement that neither its task force investigations, could
conclusively, nor definitively, determine the COVID-19 origin.
“As of today,
the U.S. Intelligence Community has “coalesced around two likely scenarios” but
has not reached a definitive conclusion on this question. Here is their current
position: “while two elements in the IC leans toward the former scenario and
one leans more toward the latter – each with low or moderate confidence – the
majority of elements do not believe there is sufficient information to assess
one to be more likely than the other.”
The administration has asked its intel community to “redouble
their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to
a definitive conclusion.”
Said Biden, “I have asked for areas of further inquiry that
may be required, including specific questions for China.”
They are to report back to the administration in 90 days with
their findings.
“The United States will also keep working with like-minded
partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent,
evidence-based international investigation and to provide access to all
relevant data and evidence”, Biden said.
The world is watching and will be waiting for the truth (and answers), about both pandemics, and what will be done about both of them.
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