Coronavirus Origins Still a Mystery 3 Years into Pandemic

A medical worker in a protective suit registers information for a patient at the entrance to the fever clinic of the Central Hospital of Wuhan, amid of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China December 31, 2022. (Reuters)

A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab?

Now, the US Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” in that it began with a lab leak, according to a person familiar with the report who wasn’t authorized to discuss it. The report has not been made public.