Does pleading the 5th mean they lied about COVID?

From TikTok to the New York Post, critics claim Fauci knew COVID might have come from a lab, hid risky U.S.-funded research in Wuhan, exaggerated its danger, and pushed vaccine rules. They say he did this even though the shots did not always stop the virus from spreading. They say that by pleading the Fifth, he proved these claims were true.

• Evidence favors an animal source for COVID.
• Early vaccine approval focused on safety and preventing illness.
• Later studies found that vaccination also reduced the spread of the virus.

COVID-19’s exact origin has not been proven. Scientists have not found clear signs that the virus was made or grown in a lab. Early cases were linked to a market that sold live animals, and two early forms of the virus may point to more than one jump from animals to people. Bats also carry many similar viruses, but the exact source is still not known for sure.

The first COVID vaccine studies did not prove the shots stopped the virus from spreading. In December 2020, the FDA said there was not enough information to know if vaccinated people could still spread the virus to others. The vaccines were approved because studies showed they were safe and helped prevent illness. Stopping the spread was seen as an extra benefit, but it was not required for approval. Researchers often study that effect after a vaccine is approved.