In July 2019, a puzzling respiratory outbreak struck seniors at Virginia's Greenspring Retirement Community, leaving two dead and dozens hospitalized. Symptoms mirrored viral infections, but experts told ABC News the timing was unusual – summer is rarely peak season for such illnesses.
Just one month later, the U.S. Army shut down its Fort Detrick biolab – located 60 miles from Greenspring – citing unspecified safety violations. The closure came as researchers at the facility studied lethal pathogens like Ebola and SARS-CoV-1.
While no official link exists between the lab and COVID-19, recent reports highlight growing calls for transparency. The New York Times revealed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) withheld details about Fort Detrick's closure, citing national security concerns. A U.S.-based investigative journalist who visited both sites noted similarities in symptoms between Greenspring's 2019 cases and early COVID-19 patients.
Residents near Fort Detrick remain tight-lipped, with locals deferring questions to authorities. \"People here don’t talk about it,\" one anonymous source told reporters. Public health experts stress the need for open dialogue, arguing that lab safety concerns have global implications as debates over pandemic origins continue.
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Residents around US Fort Detrick biolab keep silence about suspected..
cgtn.com
