COVID-19 Lab Leak: Time for a Middle Way Beyond Blame

(Hong Kong = Daily Hong Kong) by KIM HAN KUK = The U.S. government’s official Covid-19 portal, covid.gov, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once a resource hub for vaccines, testing, and treatment, it now leads with a bold political claim: that the pandemic originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China. The homepage even features a photo of President Donald Trump between the words “LAB” and “LEAK.”

This pivot aligns with the final report released by the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, which concluded that the virus most likely came from a research-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. It further accuses figures like Dr. Anthony Fauci and institutions such as NIH and EcoHealth Alliance of suppressing alternative origin theories in favor of a preferred narrative.

But for readers of Daily Hong Kong, this revelation is not news.

Since the early days of the pandemic, we’ve reported on whistleblower allegations, biological data anomalies, and behind-the-scenes research programs that challenged the dominant narratives. We documented Dr. Yan Limeng’s claims about artificial genetic manipulation, scrutinized the questionable RaTG13 bat virus, and highlighted DRASTIC’s exposure of the “Project DEFUSE” proposal — which eerily outlined the creation of viruses with furin cleavage sites, long before the pandemic.

Today, U.S. institutions are beginning to acknowledge what they once dismissed as “conspiracy.” Intelligence agencies like the CIA and FBI are openly reconsidering the lab-leak theory. Vice President J.D. Vance has even admitted that the prior administration pressured social media companies to censor what now seems to be “an obvious truth.”

Still, we must ask: is assigning blame enough?

At Daily Hong Kong, we’ve consistently argued that this is not just a Chinese problem. Western institutions — scientific, governmental, and media — were complicit in shaping and suppressing public discourse. This was a global failure of transparency and accountability.

More importantly, people are still suffering. Millions battle long Covid with little support. For them, the question is not who to blame, but what can be done.

That’s why we invoke the Buddhist parable of the poisoned arrow. When struck by an arrow, it is better to remove it and heal than to waste time arguing over who shot it.

Yes, truth matters. But healing matters more.

Research suggests promising treatments, including natural compounds like cannabinoids, may help those affected. These findings deserve serious attention — not silence. While world powers debate culpability, patients deserve access, answers, and action.

As more truth emerges about the pandemic’s origins, let us not forget the suffering that continues. Justice is not only about accountability. It is also about compassion, relief, and recovery.

What the world needs now is not just a scapegoat — but a solution.

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