FBI Director Christopher Wray has confirmed that the FBI has assessed that the Covid-19 pandemic is most likely the result of a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China. He noted that the FBI has a team of agents, professionals, analysts, virologists, and microbiologists dedicated to researching the origins of the virus, and that the FBI has "moderate confidence" in the lab-leak theory. Wray's comments come at a time when the US government is divided on the origin of the virus, and the FBI's assessment is an important step in understanding the origin of the virus.
Posts published in “Health”
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is close to approving the first nation's RSV vaccine, developed by Pfizer, which has been shown to reduce the risk of illness from RSV by as much as 86%. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted 7-4 in favor of the vaccine, despite some safety concerns. If approved, the vaccine would be the first of its kind in the US and provide a much-needed protection against RSV for older adults.
Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas announced Monday that he had undergone successful surgery to remove tumors discovered last summer in the lining of his gastrointestinal tract. The tumors were identified as gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors, which are rare and slow-growing. Castro said his prognosis is good and he expects to return to Washington, D.C. in several weeks to continue his work for the people of San Antonio. He thanked the medical staff, his family, friends, and constituents for their support.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a source of confusion and debate since it began in late 2019, with the US Department of Energy recently adding to the confusion with its assessment that the most likely cause was a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China. Rep. Seth Moulton and the FBI have sided with the lab hypothesis, but divisions remain in the US intelligence community. President Joe Biden has called for a full report from the intelligence community, and has said he will accept its conclusions.
Key takeaways: The Energy Department’s report concluded with “low confidence” that it is plausible the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a laboratory leak. The report was…
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio are still demanding answers from environmental officials after a train derailment caused toxic fumes to spread across the area. The EPA and CDC are conducting home re-entry screenings and air monitoring, and have reported no exceedances for residential air quality standards. The CDC is also committed to targeting any resident who may be affected by the incident and providing resources and support.
The US Department of Energy has concluded with "low confidence" that the Covid-19 pandemic "likely" originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, according to a classified report delivered to key lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Intelligence agencies can make assessments with either low, medium or high confidence, but one source cautioned that the DOE's conclusion was not being viewed as hugely significant due to interagency disagreements. The US Department of Energy's assessment is the latest in a series of reports from the US government and other countries that have sought to determine the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, have been concerned about the safety of their water supply since a train derailment in July caused several cars containing chemicals to spill. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local and state leaders have said that the water supply is safe to drink, but residents remain concerned and are calling for further testing and monitoring. The Ohio EPA has said that it is continuing to monitor the situation and will take any necessary action to protect public health.