Coronavirus: US investigation leaves open possibility Covid-19 resulted from ‘laboratory-associated incident’
- US government investigation largely dismisses theories suggesting that the contagion was created through genetic engineering or an attempt to make a bioweapon
- Report criticises Beijing for ‘pushing its narrative that the virus originated outside China’
However, the unclassified report released on Friday by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which released a summary of its findings two months ago, left open the possibility that it was the result of “a laboratory-associated incident”.
It also criticised Beijing for “pushing its narrative that the virus originated outside China”, chided the Chinese government for impeding further investigation and said the virology lab near the first known outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan lacked adequate biosafety precautions.
“We remain sceptical of allegations that Sars-CoV-2 was a biological weapon because they are supported by scientifically invalid claims, their proponents do not have direct access to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV), or their proponents are suspected of spreading disinformation,” the report said.
The ODNI’s comment about the narrative of Covid-19 first spreading outside of China was an apparent jab at Beijing’s suggestion the contagion emerged from the Fort Detrick Research Institute of Infectious Diseases in Maryland.