The CIA has released an assessment regarding the origins of the coronavirus, which suggests that it most likely emerged under laboratory conditions, according to the Associated Press (AP).
"The agency believes that the overall data points to a more probable laboratory origin of the virus rather than a natural one. However, the agency's analysis shows a low level of confidence in its own conclusions, indicating an incomplete, ambiguous, and contradictory evidentiary base," AP notes.
These findings are not based on new data but on a recent analysis of information regarding the spread of the virus, scientific research, and information about the operations of laboratories in China. The CIA clarified that "the scenarios of a natural origin for the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible." The intelligence community also acknowledged that deciphering the source of the coronavirus in the face of a lack of cooperation from Chinese authorities may never be achieved.
The CIA has promised to evaluate any new information that could alter their perspective.
Chinese authorities had previously denied claims that the coronavirus could have spread from a laboratory in China. The Chinese embassy in Washington emphasized that the CIA report lacks credibility. "We firmly oppose the politicization and unfounded accusations regarding the source of the virus and again urge everyone to respect science and avoid conspiracy theories," stated embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu.
In the U.S., the laboratory theory of the coronavirus's origin was earlier supported by then-FBI Director Christopher Wray (who served from 2017 to January 19, 2025) and the Department of Energy. In 2023, Ratcliffe also mentioned that he leans towards this version.
Last December, U.S. Congress also declared the laboratory origin of the coronavirus, asserting that "COVID-19 most likely originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China."
In December 2019, the Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of unknown pneumonia in Wuhan. Due to the rapid spread of the virus globally, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared a COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.