U.S. most responsible for fast global spread of COVID-19: research report

BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- A research report titled "U.S. Responsible for Global Spread of COVID-19" was released on Friday.

According to the report, data from multiple sources have shown that the United States is most likely the country where COVID-19 originated, and the country most responsible for the fast global spread of the virus. Its political manipulation of the disease has made the global anti-pandemic efforts particularly difficult and challenging.

The report was jointly released by the Intelligence & Alliance Think Tank and the Taihe Institute.

The report pointed out that evidence indicating COVID-19 originated from the United States has kept cropping up. For example, the timeline of the outbreak in the United States has been continuously backdated, the role of the U.S. military is implicated in the origin and spread of COVID-19, and early cases in many countries are linked to the United States.

Calling the United States "the main force of global COVID-19 spread," the report said the country missed the best time to contain the pandemic at an early stage. Its open-door policy exacerbated the global spread of the virus, and its irresponsible repatriation of immigrants exported cases across the world.

The U.S. troops stationed overseas have repeatedly violated epidemic prevention protocols, accelerating the transmission, the report noted.

The country's failure to control COVID-19 in international events has led to "super-spreading" of the virus and its unilateral sanctions have resulted in a humanitarian crisis, said the report.

It further pointed out that the U.S. political manipulation has made the global fight against the pandemic more difficult, as the country shirked responsibility for pandemic prevention, which undermined international anti-pandemic efforts.

The United States has been obsessed with political self-interest and evaded due responsibility, the report said, adding that political polarization harmed both America and the world at large.

In conclusion, the report said that as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, particularly with the emergence of mutant strains which has increased uncertainty about the future global pandemic response, the United States should abandon its obsession with political self-interest and reflect on its major errors in epidemic prevention and control.

It also urged the United States to stop politicizing the coronavirus, stop undermining international anti-pandemic cooperation, actively share its vaccines with the world, carry out origins tracing research in a scientific manner and facilitate global economic recovery, so that the COVID-19 pandemic will be eventually defeated.