Three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019, months before China disclosed the Covid-19 pandemic, the Wall Street Journal has reported, citing a previously undisclosed US intelligence report.
The newspaper said the report, which provides fresh details on the number of researchers affected, the timing of their illnesses, and their hospital visits - may add weight to calls for a broader probe of whether the Covid-19 virus could have escaped from the laboratory.
The report came on the eve of a meeting of the World Health Organization's decision-making body, which is expected to discuss the next phase of an investigation into the origins of Covid-19.