China’s state-run publication, Global Times, claims that a U.S. military cyclist was the source of a novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
In a purported, unfounded conspiracy theory, the publication claims the US military cyclist was the part of the U.S. military delegation that came to Wuhan to participate in the Military World Games in October.
US CDC admitted some #COVID19 patients were misdiagnosed as flu during 2019 flu season. 34 million infected & 20000 died. If #COVID19 began last September, & US has been lack of testing ability, how many would have been infected? US should find out when patient zero appeared.
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) March 22, 2020
The piece of news published in the publication urges the U.S. to “release health and infection information of the US military delegation which came to Wuhan for the Military World Games in October.” Adding that the release of health report will end the speculation about “US military personnel bringing COVID-19 to China.”
The publication claims that it is responding to the assertions of U.S. investigative journalist George Webb that novel coronavirus was first manufactured in the U.S. military lab and transported to China through diplomatic driver Maatje Benassi, a 52-year-old cyclist who participated in the World Military Games.
The Global Times publication and George Webb asserts they don’t have strong evidence to back their claims. But China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Lijian Zhao also upheld the conjecture that novel coronavirus might be manufactured in the U.S. military lab.
Earlier, Zhao Lijian, posted a video of Robert Redfield-the director for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, addressing the US Congressional Committee of March 11.
Redfield claimed that some influenza deaths in the US were later identified as cases of COVID-19, or coronavirus.
Read more: COVID-19 transmission among new-born babies rare but possible
He did not say when these people died or on what period but Zhao quoted his assertions to back the growing conspiracy theory in China that the U.S. military was the carrier of coronavirus in Hubei province in central China and that the coronavirus was not originated from there.
“CDC was caught on the spot. When did patient zero begin in the US? How many people are infected? What are the names of the hospitals? It might be the US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan. Be transparent! Make public your data! The US owe us an explanation!” the Foreign Ministry official Lijian Zhao said in a tweet.
China gave a strong backlash to U.S. President Donald Trump calling coronavirus a ‘Chinese virus’.
Scientific researchers in China are extensively exploring the origin of coronavirus but they are convinced that coronavirus hasn’t originated in Wuhan.
As coronavirus plunges the world into hysteria and extreme panic, the world leaders resort to conspiracy theories and blame game to malign their opponents.
Earlier, the Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei alleged that coronavirus “is specifically built for Iran using the genetic data of Iranians, which they have obtained through different means”.
As Iran becomes the worst-hit country and epicenter of coronavirus in the Middle East, it rejects the medical assistance from the U.S.
“I do not know how real this accusation is but when it exists, who in their right mind would trust you to bring them medication?” Khamenei said. “Possibly your medicine is a way to spread the virus more.”
“You might send people like doctors and therapists, maybe they would want to come here and see the effect of the poison they have produced in person,” Khamenei said.
While coronavirus continues the ravages in the world, the thinkers and researchers scramble to find the source of origination of the COVID-19.