CIA Now Believes COVID-19 Originated in a Lab, But Has 'Low Confidence' in Theory

Initial cases of COVID-19 were traced to Wuhan, China, where a wet market and a virology lab researching coronaviruses were located. (Credit: AFP)

The CIA announced on Saturday that it now considers a lab leak a more likely origin for the COVID-19 pandemic than a natural transmission, although the agency maintains "low confidence" in this assessment.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the origins of the virus have been hotly debated. Initial cases were traced to Wuhan, China, where a wet market and a virology lab researching coronaviruses were located.