Scientists demand new investigation of COVID-19 origins ahead of Beijing Olympics

An open letter from 20 international scientists demands a comprehensive and transparent investigation into Covid-19's origins ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

With the Beijing Olympics set to begin, a group of international scientists is once more calling for a "comprehensive international investigation" into the origins of COVID-19.

It's the latest in a series of strongly worded letters demanding more transparency from the Chinese government, once again stoking a contentious debate that's been ongoing throughout the pandemic's many months.

The letter -- signed by 20 scientists from the U.S., U.K., Germany, New Zealand, France, Australia, India and Japan -- echoes what have become broad international calls for a more thorough examination, unfettered by geopolitics, into where COVID-19 came from. It also underscores continued criticism from both the U.S. and international bodies over the Chinese government's lack of cooperation.

"The Olympic Charter states that 'The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity,'" wrote the scientist group, co-organized by Jamie Metzl, a former WHO adviser and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. "Unfortunately, as athletes from across the globe gather together today for the start of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games, this noble aspiration is being undermined through the ongoing efforts of the host government to prevent a comprehensive international investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic."