U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the new coronavirus is “not manmade or genetically modified.”
U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that the new coronavirus is “not manmade or genetically modified” but say they are still examining whether the origins of the pandemic can be traced to contact with infected animals or an accident at a Chinese lab.
The statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the clearinghouse for the web of U.S. spy agencies, comes as President Trump and his allies have touted the as-yet-unproved theory that an infectious-disease lab in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, was the source of the global pandemic that has killed more than 220,000 worldwide.
In recent days, the Trump administration has sharpened his rhetoric on China, accusing the geopolitical foe and vital trading partner of failing to act swiftly enough to stop the spread of the virus that causes“The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified,” said the statement.
Pompeo also pressed China to let outside experts into the lab “so that we can determine precisely where this virus began.” Scientists say the virus arose naturally in bats. Even so, Pompeo and others have pointed fingers at an institute that is run by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It has done groundbreaking research tracing the likely origins of the SARS virus, finding new bat viruses and discovering how they can jump to people.
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