The Wuhan Institute of Virology, connected with the lab suspected to be the source of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, received $7.4 million to study bat coronaviruses over the past several years, thanks to Dr. Anthony Fauci and the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
Fauci is NIAID’s director. An infectious disease expert at Rutgers University who read the study’s description said it focused on ways to genetically engineer the virus’ ability to infect human and animal cells.
Newsweek said Fauci, who has been advising President Trump on how to handle the pandemic, declined to comment on the funding, but the NIH issued a statement saying “there is no evidence that suggests the virus was created in a laboratory.”
Source: Newsweek April 28, 2020