United States: US intelligence agencies have released a declassified report stating that they have found no direct evidence to support the theory that COVID-19 originated from a Chinese laboratory. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) stated that both natural and laboratory origins of the virus remain plausible scenarios. The report noted that most US intelligence agencies agree that the virus was not genetically engineered or “laboratory-adapted.” The origins of the pandemic have been a contentious issue, with the lab-leak theory being strongly denied by China.

The ODNI report, released on 23rd June 2023, followed a congressional bill passed in Marchof  2023 that required US intelligence to declassify information about the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) within 90 days. The report, which spans 10 pages, stated, The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency remain unable to determine the precise origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, as both (natural and lab) hypotheses rely on significant assumptions or face challenges with conflicting reporting.

According to the report, four US intelligence agencies believe that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans, while two other agencies the Energy Department and the FBI maintain that the virus originated from a lab. The report emphasized that the intelligence community cannot rule out the possibility of a lab origin.

The report confirmed that all US intelligence agencies agree that COVID-19 was not developed as a biological weapon. It acknowledged that collaboration between the WIV and the Chinese army occurred in coronavirus research for public health purposes, although not specifically related to COVID-19. The report also highlighted that scientists at the WIV had conducted research involving combinations of coronaviruses, but it did not find evidence of intentional modifications.

In response to the report, former US Director of National Intelligence Mr. John Ratcliffe accused the Mr. Biden administration of continued obfuscation. Mr. Ratcliffe claimed that the lab-leak theory is the only one supported by science, intelligence, and common sense. The true origins of COVID-19, which has claimed millions of lives worldwide, may remain uncertain, with experts expressing differing opinions on the matter.

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