Fauci stars in a heated hearing in Congress on the origins of COVID-19

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who until almost two years ago was the leading infectious disease expert in the United States, was the protagonist of a heated discussion in Congress on Monday in the face of accusations from Republicans for allegedly covering up the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have repeatedly stated that I have a completely open mind to any of the possibilities and that if there is definitive evidence available to validate or refute any of the theories, I will accept it immediately,” said Fauci, who also called the accusations against him “absurd.” .

A GOP-led subcommittee spent more than a year investigating the country’s response to the pandemic and whether U.S.-funded research in China may have played a role in its initiation, without Fauci being linked to it. it.

Some of the accusations have centered on the discovery, by the committee, created to uncover the origins of the virus, of emails that show senior officials at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) trying to hide public records by evading Freedom of Information Act requests.

These private emails, point out Reuterssuggest that some officials, including a longtime Fauci adviser and assistant, deleted correspondence and used private emails to circumvent public records laws.

At the hearing, Fauci described the harassment and death threats he and his family have received after being disqualified by many Republican lawmakers for his stances on the pandemic, his advocacy of COVID vaccines, as well as accusations, without evidence, of being involved in a massive cover-up related to the 2020 health crisis.

[Con información de Reuters y The Associated Press]

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