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Comment by Anthony Fauci

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Former director, US NIAID
I feel, based on the data that I have seen, that the more likely--not definitive--but the more likely explanation is a natural spillover from an animal reservoir. But since there has not been definitive proof one way or the other, we have to keep an open mind that it could be either.
AI Verified (Jun 3, 2024)
Source:
Anthony Fauci, testimony in "A Hearing with Dr. Anthony Fauci," House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing, June 3, 2024.
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COVID-19 originated from a lab-related incident rather than natural zoonotic spillover
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AI Verified The quote is directly about the complete statement’s core question—lab-related origin versus natural zoonotic spillover. The author explicitly weighs the two explanations, says natural spillover is more likely, and notes only that the evidence is not definitive. That provides enough signal that the author’s stance on the statement is determinable, so it is relevant. · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago
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AI Verified He says the "more likely explanation" is "a natural spillover from an animal reservoir," so his position weighs against the claim that COVID-19 originated from a lab-related incident rather than zoonotic spillover, even though he adds it is "not definitive" and says to keep an open mind. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg55830/html/CHRG-118hhrg55830.htm)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago

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AI Verified The quote is authentic and verbatim in the official GovInfo HTML transcript for the June 3, 2024 House hearing. At lines 3459-3465, the speaker is labeled "Dr. Fauci," followed by the exact wording given here; the same transcript identifies the witness as "Anthony Fauci, M.D." for that hearing. The stored author, date, and source URL are correct. ([govinfo.gov](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-118hhrg55830/html/CHRG-118hhrg55830.htm)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago
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