The U.S. Army base known as Fort Detrick has been thrust into the spotlight following a press briefing in January where a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Chinese mainland questioned the base's transparency.
MOFA spokesperson Hua Chunying urged, \"If the U.S. truly respects facts, then please open the biological lab at Fort Detrick, show more transparency to issues like its 200-plus overseas bio-labs, invite WHO experts to conduct origin-tracing in the United States.\" 🧐
Located in the serene suburban town of Fredrick, about 50 miles from Washington, D.C., Fort Detrick has a long history dating back to World War II. The base has housed some of the most dangerous scientific programs, including biological weapons research.
Containment facilities at Fort Detrick store some of the deadliest pathogens known to humanity, such as Ebola, anthrax, smallpox, and SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). In August 2019, just months before the first COVID-19 case was reported in the U.S., experiments with pathogens like SARS-CoV were halted due to safety violations identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC cited \"national security reasons\" for withholding further details.
Historical issues at the base date back to May 2018 when a flood damaged an old sterilization plant used for treating wastewater from several facilities, as reported by The New York Times. Subsequent investigations revealed inconsistent adherence to new safety procedures and mechanical problems with the decontamination system.
In the wake of Hua's statement, Fort Detrick became a trending topic on China's Weibo and other social media platforms. Netizens voiced their suspicions, especially after a mysterious respiratory outbreak at a retirement community in Fairfax County, just an hour's drive from the base, led to 54 residents falling ill with symptoms ranging from coughs to pneumonia.
While mainstream Western media have labeled these concerns as conspiracy theories, discussions continue as netizens worldwide call for more transparency regarding Fort Detrick's activities.
Stay tuned with NewspaperAmigo.com for more updates on this developing story! 🌍💬✨
