NIH Warned of ‘Biosafety Concerns’ at Wuhan Lab Where COVID-19 May Have Originated

The P4 laboratory on the campus of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, on May 13, 2020. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) warned of potential issues at the Chinese laboratory complex thought by same to be the originating location for COVID-19, according to a newly released letter.

The NIH “has been made aware of reports that Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) has been conducting research at its facilities in China that pose serious bio-safety concerns and, as a result, health and welfare threats to the public, both in China and other countries, including the United States,” Dr. Michael Lauer, an NIH official, said in the missive.