中新网评：美国在害怕什么？是想炮制什么样的“真相”？

       中新网北京8月7日电 (蒋鲤) 拜登在竞选时曾抨击特朗普政府的疫情政治化操弄，他表示病毒不是政治武器，然而拜登政府上台后，却并没有放弃病毒政治化手段，甚至大搞“情报溯源”，向世卫组织施压，再三企图从中国“挖掘”出新冠病毒的源头。

　　美国政府在溯源问题上的过度“努力”，使正常的科学溯源变了味儿，加之国内疫情应对不力，“超级大国”在国际舞台上早已颜面尽失，形象尽毁。

　　美国媒体《棕榈滩邮报》和《迈阿密先锋报》曾披露，佛罗里达州卫生部网站曾删除2020年1月和2月出现新冠肺炎症状或检测结果呈阳性的171名患者数据，后因病例号中断被迫恢复。如此重要的证据轻易遭到删除，美国这么做，是为了隐瞒国内的疫情，证明抗疫成绩显著，还是要销毁证据隐匿早期病例，将病毒源头嫁祸于他国？

　　事实上，在溯源问题上，美国的表现一直令人怀疑，美国国内病例首次出现的时间比官方公布的要早得多。加利福尼亚大学洛杉矶分校曾发布报告称，新冠病毒可能早在2019年12月就已存在于洛杉矶地区。《华尔街日报》也曾援引美国疾控中心(CDC)的研究报告指出，早在2019年12月中旬，新冠病毒就已出现在美国，比美国第一例本土确诊病例要早一个月。

　　美国为什么刻意隐瞒早期病例呢？

　　国际社会对这一切充满疑问，但美国政府没有给出解释。相反，在国内疫情一塌糊涂时，却频繁给中国“泼脏水”，将溯源问题政治化，其目的早已超出溯源范围。这种与科学背道而驰的做法让人不禁想问，美国在害怕什么？在试图隐瞒什么？是想炮制什么样的“真相”？

　　新冠肺炎全球大流行，像一面照妖镜，照出了“超级大国”自私丑陋的一面。美国在应对全球疫情上所发挥的作用实在有限，没有展现出大国担当。国内更是因为新冠疫情经济衰退，失业率高居不下，种族歧视造成社会分裂加剧等等。

　　自以为良好的国际形象早已毁于一旦，美国若想重塑大国形象，就要彻底停止操弄病毒溯源，放弃针对别国，把精力放到应对本国疫情和改善人民福祉上。

What is the U.S. afraid of? What kind of ‘truth’ does it try to make up?

By John Lee

(ECNS) -- U.S. President Joe Biden once criticized his predecessor Donald Trump for politicizing COVID-19 and urged lawmakers to not use the deadly virus as a “political weapon.” However, the incumbent president doesn't give up politicizing the pandemic. He has not only turned to the Intelligence Community to investigate the pandemic origin but also put pressure on the World Health Organization (WHO)， trying to place the "origin" in China.

The U.S.' "excessive efforts" on origin tracing has distorted this scientific issue while its failure to curb the surging COVID-19 cases has ruined its international image.

According The Palm Beach Post and Miami Herald, Florida removed data from the Department of Health website that showed 171 patients had coronavirus symptoms or positive test results in January and February. Later, Florida's Department of Health found that the deletion caused a gap in the serial number of cases and had to restore the data. Does the removal of data reveal its well-managed epidemic response or is a way to blame others through destroying evidence on early cases?

In fact, it is the U.S that has been acting suspicious on origin tracing. Its first COVID-19 case was found earlier than the first officially-confirmed cases. A study conducted by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) suggested that COVID-19 may have appeared in L.A. as early as December 2019. The Wall Street Journal also revealed COVID-19 likely hit in the U.S. in Mid-December 2019 by using a CDC scientist report.

Why does the country attempt to cover up its early cases?

Despite being questioned by the world, it still keeps silent. What's more, the country has been keeping defiling China and trying to politicize origin tracing. People can't help asking, what is the U.S. afraid of? What is the country trying to hide? What kind of "truth" does the country try to make up?

The "superpower" has played a limited role and been selfish in the global fight against COVID-19. It has also been plagued by an economy in recess, high unemployment rates, racist social division and so on during the pandemic.

Honestly speaking, its "superpower" image has long been destroyed. The country now has no choice but to give up politicizing origin tracing and targeting others, and to focus on controlling its domestic epidemic and improving people's well-being.