CIA Determines COVID-19 More Likely to Have Originated from a Lab than Nature

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic is more likely to have emerged from a laboratory rather than through natural transmission, according to a recent statement from an agency spokesperson. This assessment comes after years of uncertainty where the agency maintained it could not determine the virus's origins.

In the closing weeks of the Biden administration, former CIA Director William Burns requested a definitive analysis from agency scientists, citing the pandemic's significance. The CIA, however, has stated that it holds "low confidence" in its finding, acknowledging that both lab and natural origins remain plausible.

It is unclear what new intelligence may have influenced this latest assessment, and the Chinese government has refuted the CIA's conclusion, branding it "misleading" and lacking substantial evidence. A Chinese embassy spokesperson emphasized that the origins of the virus should be investigated through scientific inquiry rather than political motives.

New CIA Director John Ratcliffe has prioritized investigating the origins of the pandemic, suggesting that previous intelligence and common sense indicate the possibility of a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.