COVID-19 Pandemic More Likely Lab-Originated, Says CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has concluded with “low confidence” that the COVID-19 pandemic is “more likely” to have originated from a laboratory incident than from natural transmission, an agency spokesperson revealed on Saturday. 

For years, the CIA maintained that it could not definitively determine whether the virus emerged from a lab or through natural means. However, in the final weeks of the Biden administration, former CIA Director William Burns urged analysts and scientists to make a clear assessment, citing the pandemic’s historical importance, according to a senior US official. 

The agency’s latest evaluation does not dismiss the possibility of natural origins, stating that both scenarios remain plausible. It remains unclear if the CIA has obtained new intelligence to substantiate its findings or whether existing evidence was re-evaluated. 

China’s government, which has consistently denied the lab-leak theory, has accused the US of politicising the investigation into COVID-19’s origins. Beijing asserts that claims of a laboratory leak lack credibility, adding that it has supported global research efforts to trace the pandemic’s source. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Newly confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe underscored the importance of addressing the issue in a public assessment. Speaking in an interview with Breitbart following his Senate confirmation on Friday, Ratcliffe stated, “I’ve been on record as you know in saying I think our intelligence, our science, and our common sense all really dictate that the origins of COVID was a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.” 

The lab-leak theory, which points to a possible incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, has been a focal point of global debates about the pandemic’s origins. Despite the CIA’s new assessment, many scientists and international agencies continue to support the theory of a natural zoonotic spillover as a likely explanation. 

As the investigation into COVID-19’s origins remains inconclusive, the issue continues to fuel geopolitical tensions and debates over transparency, accountability, and the need for rigorous global cooperation in preventing future pandemics.

Melissa Enoch

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