German Intelligence Agency Believed Covid Originated from Lab Leak

The German foreign intelligence agency, BND, conducted an assessment in 2020, which suggested that the coronavirus may have accidentally leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Two German newspapers, Die Zeit and Sueddeutsche Zeitung, have exposed previously confidential details of this assessment. The BND evaluated the likelihood of a lab leak as high but lacked definitive evidence to confirm the theory. This analysis occurred during an operation called Project Saaremaa, commissioned by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, and indicated safety regulation violations at the lab. Although the findings were shared with the CIA in late 2022, both the BND and Chancellor Olaf Scholz have not commented on the disclosure.

China has vehemently denied the lab leak theory, suggesting that the origin of Covid-19 should be investigated by scientists, as concluded by a joint WHO team that deemed a lab leak "extremely unlikely." While the WHO investigation initially supported a natural origin for the virus, the ongoing debate has led to growing skepticism and doubts regarding the natural origin hypothesis. Scientific disagreements continue, as many researchers assert that no animal has been identified to closely match the genetic makeup of the coronavirus, leaving room for speculation about its origins.