The COVID-19 pandemic has evidently changed things for the whole world. However, there are still conflicts regarding the origins of the widespread virus.
US Agencies Hold Differing Views on COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory
According to Science Alert, the US Department of Energy now agrees that the pandemic may have resulted from a lab leak in China. This grave claim was made in a recent intelligence brief directed at the White House and top congressional members, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Independent reports that various US agencies still hold varying views regarding this controversial COVID-19 lab leak theory.
According to the Guardian, the Energy Department's conclusion is still important even if its judgment was made with low confidence.
Jake Sullivan, who serves as the national security adviser of the White House, reportedly did not deny or confirm the story and said that officials from the US still do not have a definitive answer regarding the matter.
Such a report may bolster commentators, researchers, and politicians who think that COVID-19 may have resulted from a lab leak in China. The Independent further reports that, even if the Journal did not indicate that the Energy Department specifically referred to China, most proponents of the lab leak specifically refer to the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Hubei province. This is where the virus started spreading to humans.
Two Major Hypotheses Regarding the Origins of Coronavirus
According to ABC News, in a declassified summary that was released on Friday, agencies proposed that there are two major hypotheses regarding the origins of the coronavirus. These are the lab leak theory and the theory on natural exposure to an infected animal.
As per the Independent, most agencies gauged with low confidence that this virus was not a product of genetic engineering. Moreover, four US agencies and the NIC asserted with low confidence that the coronavirus was a product of transmission between humans and animals that naturally took place.
The FBI, on the other hand, asserts with moderate confidence that the lab leak is the likely root. Two different agencies, which allegedly include the CIA, remain undecided. All the others think that the lab leak theory is possible.
Jake Sullivan notes that some have conclusively favored one side while others express that they do not know enough to be sure about their stance. He further notes that President Joe Biden has guided the intelligence community in exerting efforts and resources to get to the bottomline of the question.
Nevertheless, the agencies generally agree that the coronavirus was not a biological weapon of some sort and that leaders from China were unaware of the virus prior to the pandemic.
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.
