The CIA has announced that it believes the COVID-19 pandemic “more likely” originated from a laboratory leak than a natural event.
The CIA’s “low confidence” assessment comes after John Ratcliffe was sworn in as director of the top intelligence agency under President Donald Trump on Thursday.
The “CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible”, a spokesperson said on Saturday.
US media reported that the assessment had been ordered under the administration of former US President Joe Biden and was completed before Ratcliffe took up his post.
According to the reports, the assessment was also based on existing intelligence, not new information.
