A conclusion, however, has not been reached so far
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) virus may have originated from a Chinese lab in Wuhan, a new study by the United States government national laboratory has claimed.
The new study was prepared in May 2020 by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. It was referred to by the State Department, according to the reports by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
According to the WSJ report, the study pushed for further investigation into the matter. It looked into the pandemic’s origins during the final months of the Trump administration.
The assessment drew on genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2, the report said. Livermore declined to comment on the WSJ report.
In May, the current US President Joe Biden ordered his aides to look into the origin of the virus. The US intelligence agencies are considering two likely scenarios: The virus originated from a laboratory accident, or it emerged from human contact with an infected animal.
They have not come to a conclusion on the matter so far, according to the report.
Earlier, US officials accused China of a lack of transparency on the virus’ origin. There were also accusations of the lack of Chinese cooperation in the World Health Organization’s investigation on the origins of the pandemic.
The Chinese government, however, has dismissed the allegations.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.