CIA Suggests Wuhan Lab Leak More Likely Than Natural Origin for COVID-19

China strongly denies the claim, calling it 'extremely improbable,' as debates over the pandemic's origins persist.

The CIA has issued a report stating it considers a lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology a more probable origin of COVID-19 than natural transmission, though with low confidence due to lack of conclusive evidence.
China has rejected the lab leak theory, citing an earlier joint investigation with the WHO that found such a scenario 'extremely improbable.'
The new report comes shortly after John Ratcliffe, a Trump appointee, assumed leadership of the CIA, reigniting political tensions over the pandemic's origins.
The WHO has reiterated calls for greater data transparency from China and the U.S. to advance investigations into the virus's origins.
Both the lab leak and natural transmission theories remain unproven, with scientists and intelligence agencies divided on the issue.