US intelligence says coronavirus was not man-made but theory it leaked from Wuhan lab needs more investigation
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence says it has not ruled on theory virus leaked from lab
- Donald Trump is making China’s handling of outbreak a major issue in his re-election campaign
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement on Friday that the intelligence community (IC) had consistently provided critical support for responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the Covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified,” the statement said.
It said US intelligence would respond by boosting resources and producing critical intelligence on issues vital to US national security.
“The IC will continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine whether the outbreak began through contact with infected animals or if it was the result of an accident at a laboratory in Wuhan.”
The agency’s statement came after US President Donald Trump claimed he had seen evidence the new coronavirus had originated in a Chinese lab, and threatened tariffs on Beijing over its role in the global pandemic.