US Intelligence Is Exploring The Possibility That Coronavirus Started In Chinese Lab
United States intelligence is exploring the possibility that the novel coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory rather than a market, according to report in the CNN.
Reuters
It has been a puzzle for long - where exactly did the virus spread from? The US is now looking to solve the puzzle and come up with definite answers regarding the origin of COVID-19.
One theory being suggested is that the coronavirus originated in a lab. The theory is one of multiple being pursued by investigators as they attempt to determine the origin of the disease that has resulted in a pandemic and killed hundreds of thousands, the report said.
Reuters
The US does not believe the virus was associated with bioweapons research, and officials noted that the intelligence community is also exploring a range of other theories regarding the origination of the virus, according to an intelligence source.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fox News claimed that the virus originated in a Wuhan laboratory as part of China¡¯s effort to demonstrate that its efforts to identify and combat viruses are equal to or greater than the capabilities of the US.
The lab theory has been strongly denied by the Chinese government and many outside experts have also cast doubt on the idea, claiming that scientific evidence does not support a laboratory construct or a purposefully manipulated virus.
Reuters
China has maintained repeatedly that the lab was to not to blame, instead saying that the virus came from a wet market in Wuhan.
China¡¯s foreign ministry noted on Thursday the World Health Organization has said there is no evidence coronavirus was made in a lab.
More than 2.14 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 143,744 have died, according to latest reports. Infections have been reported in more than 190 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
