It doesn't take much to connect the dots if you're so inclined, however it's only responsible to check if there's any actual connection. Wuhan is indeed ground zero for the current pandemic, however prof. Charles Lieber was not arrested for any activity that might amount to treason or development of a virus. His fault was misleading authorities about supposed payments for work carried out for the university in Wuhan and trying to conceal his involvement in a Chinese scientific talent recruitment program.
While it may sound nefarious, there's no more substance in those charges, nor is there any link between Lieber's arrest and indictments of the two Chinese nationals. In fact, China has been known for years to try and buy know-how from countries or individuals, legally or not. And Lieber's talent is no secret – he's considered one of America's best nanotechnologists and was even named as possible Nobel prize candidate.
It should also be remembered that Lieber's arrest has been very useful for Chinese propaganda, which began spreading messages about US involvement in the pandemic already in February. First in a book that was quickly pulled from Chinese online bookstores due to public outrage in China, then in official statements by the Communist Party members.
There is also no reason to believe that the novel coronavirus was in some way synthetically developed by humans, be it the Chinese or anyone else. Significant body of research about the epidemiological threat of such viruses has been built over the years and scientists were relatively quick in establishing the most possible path of the coronavirus to be contracted by humans.
As readers we all have the right and perhaps even responsibility to be critical of any media outlets and the news we're getting. However, the same principle of scrutiny should be used when dealing with social media theories. After all, journalists are legally bound by what they write and may suffer consequences if they mislead the public, while social media is still unregulated. It's up to us to filter through it.
