Coronavirus originated from animals or leaked from China's laboratory, but answer not been received even after three years

A key question that has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is whether the virus originated in animals or leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Now, the US Department of Energy has assessed with 'low confidence' that it began with a slab leak. This information came from a person familiar with the report, who was not authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public.

Others disagree with the report

Others in the US intelligence community disagree with the report. "There is still no consensus in the US government on how exactly COVID started," John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Monday. There isn't just an intelligence community consensus, he said.

The report is based on new intelligence

The DOE's findings were first published in the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, which said the classified report is based on new intelligence and was noted in an update to the 2021 document. The DOE oversees a national network of laboratories.

White House declined to confirm press reports

White House officials on Monday declined to confirm press reports about the assessment. In 2021, officials released an intelligence report summary that four members of the US intelligence community regarded with low confidence that the virus had previously been transmitted from an animal to a human, and a fifth believed with moderate confidence that the first human infection was linked to a laboratory.

declined to comment on the report

The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the report. US All 18 offices in the intelligence community had access to the information used by the DOE in reaching its assessment.

Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard's Broad Institute, said she is not sure what new intelligence the agencies have, but it is reasonable to speculate that it may be related to the activities of the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China. Is. No intelligence agency has said that they believe the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was intentionally produced.

The report will encourage the investigation

Chan, who co-authored a book about the origins of COVID-19, said he hoped the latest report would spur more investigation in the United States. Last year, the World Health Organization recommended a thorough investigation of a possible laboratory accident.

the virus came from the forest to man

Let me tell you, many scientists believe that the virus has come from animals to humans. They say that the virus has emerged from the forests. It has come to humans from bats or through some other animal. In a 2021 research paper in the journal Cell, scientists said that the COVID-19 virus is the ninth coronavirus to infect humans. All previous viruses originated in animals. Two studies published last year by the journal Science bolstered the animal origin theory. That research found that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was likely the initial epicenter. The scientists concluded that the virus may have spread from animals to people at two different times.

It is important to know the origin of Covid-19

Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, stressed that President Joe Biden believes it is important to know what happened "so that we can better prevent future pandemics" but that such research should be done as safe and as possible for the rest of the world. should be done transparently."

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