WASHINGTON (TNND) — The World Military Games in October 2019 brought together 9,000 athletes from 100 countries in the city of Wuhan, China, to compete in an Olympic-style event for service members.

As it turned out, many who attended soon became very ill with symptoms that we later learned were very similar to those of a new virus named COVID-19.

Months later, top military officials under President Donald Trump were asked about the outbreak.

A reporter asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper, "Was there any special screening for the military team that went to Wuhan—the athletic team?"

Esper responded, “I’m not aware of what you're talking about," during an April 14, 2020, press briefing.

In June of 2021, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., (who has since left Congress) sent a letter to the Defense Department asking for a full investigation into how many U.S. service members became ill and how far the virus may have spread.

In an interview on Fox News, he said, "Establishing a timeline is critical to understanding where this came from and critical to getting past what I believe to be a systematic cover-up by the Chinese Communist Party."

It turns out an investigation did occur, which led to a report from the Department of Defense.

It’s dated December 2022.

“Seven service members who attended the games exhibited COVID-19-like signs and/or symptoms during the timeframe of October 18, 2019, through January 21, 2020.”

While the report was released to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees at the time, the Biden administration is now being accused of suppressing it.

Andrew Kerr, a Washington Free Beacon reporter, said in an interview Thursday, "Congress required the Biden administration, through the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, to do this report into potential COVID links to these military games in October 2019. And the Biden administration didn't release it to the public."

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, is now calling for a new investigation, seeking more answers about the timeline and the origins.

In late January, the CIA shifted its assessment, concluding that the virus most likely originated in a lab in Wuhan, China—not far from where the World Military Games took place.