‘Strange series of events’ led to COVID-19 lab leak theory being branded ‘conspiracy’

Journalist Ian Birrell says “it was a very strange series of events” which led to the COVID-19 lab leak theory being branded “conspiracy theory”.

Mr Birrell said in late January 2020, the predominant view “among experts in the field was that this virus showed signs of engineering - and they all feared a lab leak".

“Most of them, if pushed at the time, from what we’ve seen, actually favoured the idea of a lab leak over natural zoonotic transmission.

“Then suddenly, a paper is sent to Dr Anthony Fauci, which talks about a research done by the Wuhan Institute of Virology … Dr Fauci then circulates that to people.

"Dr Jeremy Farrar, the head of the most important funding research body in Europe, the Wellcome Trust, organises a meeting of 13 people.

“Within days, they all seem to switch views.”