Wuhan lab researchers working on coronavirus gain-of-function were ‘Patients Zero’, say journalists.

Journalists Identify First COVID-19 Patients as Wuhan Lab Researchers

Three journalists have identified the first three patients who contracted COVID-19 as lab researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The report, compiled by Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi, and Alex Gutentag, cites anonymous U.S. government officials involved in the origin investigation.

“According to multiple U.S. government officials interviewed as part of a lengthy investigation by Public and Racket, the first people infected by the virus, ‘patients zero,’ included Ben Hu, a researcher who led the WIV’s ‘gain-of-function’ research on SARS-like coronaviruses, which increases the infectiousness of viruses,” the report said.

The journalists identified researchers Ben Hu, Yu Ping, and Yan Zhu as “patients zero.” Hu worked closely with Shi Zhengli, known as “the bat woman of China,” who led the gain-of-function research at the WIV.

U.S. Government to Release Classified Material on Virus Origin

Directorate of National Intelligence is expected to release once-classified material on the virus’ origin later this month that may include the names of the three researchers. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed a bill that calls for the release of the names and roles of the sick researchers at the WIV, their symptoms, and date of symptom onset, and whether these researchers had been involved with or exposed to coronavirus research.

COVID-19 as a Chinese Military Bioweapon?

State Department investigators probing the origins of COVID are highly suspicious of the People’s Liberation Army’s role at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The Chinese military partnered with the lab to experiment with viruses in 2016 after the lab started to have some success mutating pathogens. The new reports run counter to what Dr. Anthony Fauci said just this past February when he expressed doubt about the origin of the virus.

“I don’t see any data for a lab leak. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t have happened,” Fauci said then.

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.