The CIA now assesses the virus that causes Covid-19 more likely originated from an accidental lab leak in China, rather than occurring naturally, according to a statement from the agency Saturday, just days after Director John Ratcliffe took the reins.

The CIA announced that they believe that the COVID-19 virus likely originated from an accidental lab leak in China instead of it occurring naturally. The governmental organization released a statement today (Jan.

The Central Intelligence Agency said Saturday that it’s more likely a lab leak caused the Covid-19 pandemic than an infected animal that spread the virus to people, changing the agency’s yearslong stance that it couldn’t conclude with certainty where the pandemic started.

The assessment released Saturday points at China while acknowledging that the CIA has “low confidence” in its own conclusion.

The CIA has revised its stance on the origins of Covid-19, stating the virus is 'more likely' to have leaked from a Chinese lab rather than originating from animals.

The intelligence agency says it has a “low confidence” in its new finding, but this is further than it has ever gone in pinpointing the origin of the virus that killed millions worldwide.

CIA continues to assess that both research-related and natural origin scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic remain plausible.”

Five years after a new coronavirus swept the world, the CIA’s assessment that it is of likely laboratory-origin comes as no surprise to anyone who has closely followed this topic.

The CIA suggests a lab leak in China as the likely origin of Covid-19 but notes the conclusion is made with low confidence.