This is why people say "do your own research". Because trusting some other authority will end badly, just like this.
> "do your own research" How? I barely have enough time to do my day job. You think I have the time or expertise to research the origins of a virus? Where does it end? Do I grow my own food? Make my own clothes? Build my own car after mining ore, smelting it and doing a million other things?
Perhaps begin by entertaining ideas as possible until proven otherwise. No scientists ever provided conclusive proof the virus didn’t originate in a lab. If you were to look at what some scientists were saying such as the former director of the CDC you would hear explanations including evidence that suggested it probably did leak from a lab. But since the dawn of search engines, we’ve been suggesting that lazy people investigate and seek out the truth instead of clinging to dogma that validates their biases. Perhaps that will never change. I get it if you’re not interested in the actual truth, but that is exactly the problem. We as citizens who have dealt with this crisis deserve to know the truth. And by the way, an empowered and informed citizenry is what makes a nation strong across all metrics. If you only care about yourself I get it, make your money. But some of us still care about our country (whatever country we live in).