Trump turns a COVID information website into a promotion page for the lab leak theory

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A federal website that used to feature information on vaccines, testing and treatment for COVID-19 has been transformed into a page supporting the theory that the pandemic originated with a lab leak.

The covid.gov website shows a photo of President Donald Trump walking between the words “lab” and “leak” under a White House heading. It mentions that Wuhan, China, where the coronavirus first began spreading, is home to a research lab with a history of conducting virus research with “inadequate biosafety levels.”

The web page also accuses Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, of pushing a “preferred narrative” that COVID-19 originated in nature.

The origins of COVID have never been proven. Scientists are unsure whether the virus jumped from an animal, as many other viruses have, or came from a laboratory accident. A U.S. intelligence analysis released in 2023 said there is insufficient evidence to prove either theory.

It’s common for government websites to get a makeover from one administration to the next, but the latest overhaul has been more extensive than usual. Public health data was scrubbed, particularly any information involving transgender people. The Pentagon also removed photos that were believed to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion.

The covid.gov site used to include information on how to order free COVID tests and described how to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine, saying it's “the best way you can protect you and your loved ones.” It advised people how to get treatment right away if they get sick and added links to learn more information about long COVID.

About 325 Americans have died from COVID per week on average over the past four weeks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of April 5, less than a quarter of adults in the U.S. have gotten an updated COVID vaccine. Millions worldwide have had long COVID, with dozens of widely varying symptoms, including fatigue and brain fog.

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