Fauci acknowledged before Congress that the hypothesis that COVID-19 came from a laboratory is not a conspiracy theory

The Congressional Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic reported that Dr. Anthony Fauci acknowledged that the hypothesis that COVID-19 came from a laboratory is not a conspiracy theory.

Appearing before the subcommittee, Fauci also said that the social distancing policies he promoted when he was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases most likely lacked scientific evidence. However, he denied allegations that he visited the CIA during the pandemic or influenced the agency's investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

"This comes nearly four years after prompting the publication of the now infamous 'Proximal Origin' paper that attempted to vilify and disprove the lab-leak hypothesis," the subcommittee detailed on its official X (formerly Twitter) account.

"Dr. Fauci claimed that the '6 feet apart' social distancing recommendation promoted by federal health officials was likely not based on any data," the subcommittee added.

Fauci also admitted that the United States' vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic could increase vaccine hesitancy in the future.

The chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), said that, despite having differences with Dr. Fauci, he thanks him for his willingness to talk with the group of representatives.

"While we remain frustrated with Dr. Fauci’s inability to recollect COVID-19 information that is important for our investigation, others we have spoken to do recall the facts. I appreciate Dr. Fauci’s willingness to testify privately in front of the Select Subcommittee and look forward to speaking with him further at a public hearing this year. There are many opportunities to do better in the future," Wenstrup noted.