Persbericht Covid rapport: samenvatting en vertaling

On December 2, 2024, the American Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic an extensive final report of 520 pages, entitled “After Action Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward”. The report provides insights and recommendations to better understand, prevent, and address future pandemics. Various ChatGPT summaries of the report are already doing the rounds. The past few years have taught us that sometimes it is more important what is communicated than what can actually be obtained from a report.

Therefore, special attention is paid to the press release of the committee. First their own summary as it was communicated to the press, then the full press release. Both translated into Dutch.

Summary of the press release: Final report COVID Select

Main findings and conclusions

1. Origin of COVID-19
   • Most likely caused by a lab leak in Wuhan, China.
   • The U.S. government funded "gain-of-function" research through EcoHealth Alliance, exposing risks and flawed oversight.
   • Studies point to deliberately manipulated information about the natural origin of the virus.
2. Financial abuses
   • Major fraud in assistance programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program ($64 billion lost) and unemployment benefits ($191 billion).
   • Insufficient supervision of aid funds led to abuse by international fraudsters.
3. Response from government agencies
   • Measures such as lockdowns and mask regulations were often not scientifically substantiated.
   • Decisions such as long-term school closures caused permanent damage, including learning delays and an increase in psychological distress.
   • The WHO acted ineffectively and under the influence of political interests.
4. Vaccine development and policy
   • Vaccine mandates and the accelerated approval of vaccines have been controversial, with criticism of transparency and effectiveness.
   • Natural immunity was ignored in the creation of vaccine guidelines.
   • The vaccination policy undermined individual freedoms and aroused distrust.
5. Economic and social impact
   • More than 160,000 businesses closed, 60% of which were permanent.
   • Unemployment peaked at historic levels, with major consequences for low-wage workers.
   • Decisions such as Governor Cuomo's order on nursing homes caused additional deaths and cover-ups.
6. Obstruction and misinformation
   • Government agencies such as HHS, EcoHealth, and prominent figures (such as Dr. Fauci) delayed and blocked investigations.
   • There was manipulation of information by governments and social media platforms.

Recommendations for the future

• Improving the supervision of high-risk research and government programs.
• Focus on transparency, accountability and integrity in leadership.
• Address systemic vulnerabilities to prevent fraud and abuse.

The report will be officially presented to Congress on December 4, 2024.

Translation of complete press release

Press release

Published: 2 December 2024

FINAL: COVID Select completes 2-year study and publishes 500+ page final report on lessons learned and the way forward

The most thorough investigation into the pandemic to date

WASHINGTON – Today, the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic concluded its two-year investigation into the COVID-19 pandemic and released a final report titled "After Action Review of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward”. The final report will serve as a roadmap for Congress, the executive branch, and the private sector to prepare and respond to future pandemics. Since February 2023, the Select Subcommittee has sent out more than 100 letters of inquiry, conducted more than 30 transcribed interviews and witness testimony, held 25 hearings and meetings, and reviewed more than one million pages of documents. Members and staff have exposed high-level corruption in the U.S. health care system, confirmed the most likely origins of the pandemic, held COVID-19 thugs publicly accountable, fostered bipartisan consensus on key issues related to the pandemic, and much more. This 520-page final report describes all the findings of the Select Subcommittee's investigation.

"This work will help the United States and the world predict the next pandemic, prepare for the next pandemic, protect against the next pandemic, and hopefully prevent the next pandemic. Members of the 119th Congress must continue and build on this work, there is more information to be found and honest actions to be taken," wrote chairman Wenstrup in a letter to Congress. "The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a distrust in leadership. Trust has to be earned. Accountability, transparency, honesty and integrity will regain this trust. A future pandemic will require an America-wide response led by people with no personal benefit or bias. We can always do better, and for the sake of future generations of Americans, we should. It can be done."

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 10:30 a.m., the Select Subcommittee will hold a discussion of the final report and officially submit the report to Congress. Prior to the discussion, the Select Subcommittee will also release additional supporting materials and recommendations.

The full final report of 520 pages is To be found here. A summary of the information is below.

The origins of the Corona Pandemic, including but not limited to the federal government's funding of Gain-of-Function research.

ORIGIN COVID-19: COVID-19 most likely originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China. The FIVE strongest arguments in favor of the "lab leak" theory are:

1. The virus has a biological property that does not occur in nature.
2. Data show that all cases of COVID-19 are due to a single introduction in humans. This contradicts previous pandemics where there were multiple infections.
3. Wuhan is home to China's main SARS research laboratory, which has a history of conducting "gain-of-function" research at inadequate biosecurity levels.
4. Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) researchers became ill with a COVID-like virus in the fall of 2019, months before COVID-19 was detected on the wet market.
5. By almost all standards of science, a natural origin would have already surfaced, if there were evidence of it.

PROXIMAL ORIGIN PUBLICATION: "The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2" publication – which was repeatedly used by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab-leak theory – was initiated by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated in nature.

GAIN-OF-FUNCTION RESEARCH: A laboratory-related incident with gain-of-function research is most likely the origin of COVID-19. Current government mechanisms for overseeing this dangerous gain-of-function research are incomplete, highly complicated, and not globally applicable.

ECOHEALTH ALLIANCE INC. (ECOHEALTH): EcoHealth – led by Dr. Peter Daszak – used U.S. taxpayer money to facilitate dangerous gain-of-function research in Wuhan, China. After the Select Subcommittee released evidence that EcoHealth had violated the terms of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiated an official exclusion proceeding and suspended all funding to EcoHealth.

• New evidence also shows that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an investigation into EcoHealth's pandemic activities.

NIH ERRORS: NIH's procedures for funding and overseeing potentially dangerous research are flawed, unreliable, and pose a serious threat to both public health and national security. In addition, NIH fostered an environment that encouraged evasion of federal record-keeping laws, as evidenced by the actions of Dr. David Morens and "FOIA Lady" Marge Moore.

The effectiveness, effectiveness, and transparency of the use of taxpayer money and assistance programs to address the coronavirus pandemic, including reports of waste, fraud, or abuse

COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING: Federal and state governments had significant gaps in coordination, were unprepared to oversee the allocation of COVID-19 relief funds, and failed to adequately identify waste, fraud, and misuse of taxpayer money during the pandemic.

PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM: The paycheck protection program — which provided Americans with essential assistance in the form of loans that could be forgiven if the money was used to offset hardship during the pandemic — was awash with fraudulent claims that caused at least $64 billion of taxpayer money to be lost to fraudsters and criminals.

FRAUDULENT DISMISSAL APPLICATIONS: Fraudsters cost the U.S. taxpayer more than $191 billion by taking advantage of the federal government's unemployment system and abusing individuals' personally identifiable information.

SHORTCOMINGS OF THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (SBA): $200 million of taxpayer loss was lost due to the SBA's inability to properly supervise, implement internal controls and ensure that anti-fraud measures were in place.

TRANSNATIONAL FRAUD: At least half of the taxpayer dollars lost in COVID-19 relief programs were stolen by international fraudsters.

MONITORING COVID-19 ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS: Expanding utilities without proper oversight features exposed serious vulnerabilities in the system and paved the way for fraudsters, international criminals, and foreign adversaries to take advantage of taxpayers.

The implementation or effectiveness of federal laws or rules applied, enacted, or contemplated to address the coronavirus pandemic and prepare for future pandemics

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO): The WHO's response to the COVID-19 pandemic was a reprehensible failure because it gave in to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party and put China's political interests above its international obligations. Moreover, the WHO's latest attempt to solve the problems exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic – via a "pandemic treaty" – could hurt the United States.

SOCIAL DISTANCING: The "6 feet apart" social distancing recommendation — which shut down schools and small businesses across the country — was arbitrary and not based on science. During closed-door testimony, Dr. Fauci testified that the directive "just appeared."

MASK REGULATIONS: There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans against COVID-19. Public health officials freaked out about the efficacy of masks without providing Americans with scientific data — massively increasing public distrust.

LOCKDOWNS: Prolonged lockdowns caused immeasurable damage not only to the U.S. economy, but also to the mental and physical health of Americans, with a particularly negative effect on younger citizens. Instead of prioritizing the protection of the most vulnerable populations, the policies of federal and state governments forced millions of Americans to forgo crucial elements of healthy and financially healthy living.

PANDEMIC FAILURE IN NEW YORK: The March 25 order from former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo — which forced nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive patients — was a medical error. The evidence shows that Mr. Cuomo and his administration have covered up the tragic consequences of their policy decisions in an apparent attempt to shield themselves from liability.

• Evidence suggests that Mr. Cuomo knowingly made numerous false statements to the Select Subcommittee about key aspects of the COVID-19 disaster in New York nursing homes and the subsequent cover-up. The Select Subcommittee referred Mr. Cuomo to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution.

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS: President Trump's quickly implemented travel restrictions saved lives. During the transcribed interview with Dr. Fauci, he unequivocally agreed with every travel restriction enacted by the Trump administration. This testimony is at odds with the public narrative that the Trump administration's travel restrictions are xenophobic.

COVID-19 MISINFORMATION: Public health officials often spread misinformation through conflicting reporting, hasty responses, and a lack of transparency. In the most egregious examples of pervasive misinformation campaigns, off-label drug use and the lab leak theory were unfairly demonized by the federal government.

• The Biden administration even used undemocratic and probably unconstitutional methods – including pressuring social media companies to censor certain COVID-19 content – to combat what it considered disinformation.

The development of vaccines and treatments and the development and implementation of vaccination policies for federal employees and members of the military

OPERATION WARP SPEED: President-elect Trump's Operation Warp Speed – which encouraged the rapid development and authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine – was very successful and helped save millions of lives.

COVID-19 VACCINE: Contrary to what was promised, the COVID-19 vaccine did not stop the spread or transmission of the virus.

APPROVED COVID-19 VACCINE: The FDA accelerated the approval of the COVID-19 vaccine to comply with the arbitrary timeline of the Biden administration's mandate. Two leading FDA scientists warned their colleagues about the dangers of rushing the vaccine approval process and the potential for side effects. They were ignored, and days later, the Biden administration mandated the vaccine.

VACCINE MANDATES: Vaccine mandates were not backed by science and did more harm than good. The Biden administration forced healthy Americans to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates that trampled on individual freedoms, harmed military readiness, and ignored medical freedom to force a new vaccine on millions of Americans without sufficient evidence to support their policy decisions.

NATURAL IMMUNITY: Public health officials were engaged in a coordinated effort to ignore natural immunity — which was acquired through previous COVID-19 infection — in developing vaccine guidelines and mandates.

VACCINATION DAMAGE REPORTING SYSTEMS: Vaccine injury reporting systems created confusion, failed to properly inform the U.S. public about vaccine harm, and worsened public confidence in vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

VACCINATION DAMAGE COMPENSATION: The government fails to handle compensation claims for COVID-19 vaccine injuries efficiently, fairly and transparently.

The economic impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the associated government response on individuals, communities, small businesses, health care providers, states, and local government agencies

IMPACT ON BUSINESS: Federal and state governments imposed mandatory closures that were the primary cause of temporary and permanent business closures. More than 160,000 businesses closed as a result of the pandemic, 60% of which were permanent. For the companies that stayed or reopened, the lack of diversity in the supply chain exacerbated the problems of the pandemic and exacerbated existing disparities.

CONSEQUENCES FOR HEALTH CARE: The American healthcare system suffered serious damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients experienced reduced quality of care, longer waiting times, shorter medical appointments, and missed diagnoses.

CONSEQUENCES FOR EMPLOYEES: Unemployment rose to levels not seen since the Great Depression. Overly broad mitigation measures – including the now-debunked "6 feet apart" directive – disproportionately affected sectors with low-wage workers.

FEDERAL RESERVE: The Federal Reserve's aggressive, early, and unprecedented response to the COVID-19 pandemic prevented a severe economic downturn. This continued approach also contributed to staggering inflation.

The societal impact of decisions to close schools, how the decisions were made, and whether there is evidence of widespread learning loss or other negative effects as a result of these decisions

COVID-19 SCHOOL CLOSURES: "Science" has never justified prolonged school closures. Children were unlikely to contribute to the spread of COVID-19 or suffer from severe illness or mortality. Instead, as a result of school closures, children experienced historical learning loss, higher rates of psychological distress, and reduced physical well-being.

INFLUENCE OF THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION (CDC): The Biden administration's CDC broke a precedent and provided a political teachers' organization with access to its scientific guidelines for reopening schools. Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky asked the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for specific language for the guidelines, even going so far as to accept numerous edits from the AFT.

AFT INFLUENCE: Schools remained closed longer than necessary due to the AFT's political interference with the CDC's guidelines for school reopening. AFT is a political union, not a scientific organization, that advocated for mitigation measures that extended school closures — including an automatic closure "trigger."

• Witnesses revealed that AFT chairman Weingarten had a direct phone line with former CDC director Walensky.

LONG-TERM EFFECTS: Standardized test scores show that children have lost decades of academic progress due to the COVID-19 school closures. Mental and physical health problems skyrocketed: the number of suicide attempts among girls aged 12-17 increased by 51%.

Collaboration of the Executive Branch and others with Congress, Inspectors General, the Government Accountability Office, and others in connection with oversight of preparedness for and response to the coronavirus pandemic

HHS OBSTRUCTION: The Biden administration's HHS has waged a multi-year campaign of delay, confusion, and non-responsiveness in an effort to thwart the Select Subcommittee's investigation and hide evidence that could incriminate or embarrass senior public health officials. It appears that the HHS has even intentionally under-resourced the department that responds to requests for legislative oversight.

ECOHEALTH OBSTRUCTION: EcoHealth's chairman, Dr. Peter Daszak, obstructed the Select Subcommittee's investigation by providing publicly available information, instructing his staff to reduce the size and pace of productions, and falsifying documents before they were made public. Further, Dr. Daszak made false statements to Congress.

DR. DAVID MORENS: Dr. Fauci's lead counsel, Dr. David Morens, intentionally obstructed the selection subcommittee's investigation, likely lied to Congress multiple times, unlawfully removed federal COVID-19 records, and shared nonpublic information about NIH grant processes with EcoHealth Chairman Dr. Peter Daszak.

NEW YORK OBSTRUCTION: New York's executive branch — currently headed by Governor Kathy Hochul — edited documents, made numerous unlawful claims of privilege, and withheld thousands of documents with no clear legal basis to thwart the Select Subcommittee's investigation into former Governor Cuomo's failure during the pandemic.