The origin of Covid-19 may never be determined.
Yesterday (October 29), US intelligence agencies stated that the origin of Covid-19 may never be determined, and the assessment report also did not determine whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread from animals to humans or leaked from a laboratory.
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| Illustration photo: Reuters |
According to a report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), both natural origin and laboratory leaks are plausible hypotheses regarding how the SARS-CoV-2 virus first infected humans. However, analysts have not yet reached a definitive conclusion about the source of the virus's spread.
The report also refutes the idea that the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated as a biological weapon, because those who support this theory do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology and are accused of spreading misinformation.
The newly released report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence is an updated assessment 90 days after the Joe Biden administration released it in late August, amid intense political debate over blaming China for the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The previous report stated that U.S. intelligence agencies would not be able to provide a "clearer explanation" without new information from China.
The US accuses China of possessing crucial information about the origins of the pandemic but preventing international investigators and members of the public health community from accessing it. Meanwhile, China vehemently rejects the theory that the virus escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan, counter-accusing it of a "political manipulation of the pandemic."
