A new Germany foreign intelligence agency report by the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND) has suggested that there is an 80-90% chance that the Covid-19 virus had originated through an accidental escape from a lab in China. This news, according to German media, has revived controversies regarding the origin of the virus.
Intelligence Findings
Two German newspapers, Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung, cited that they heard this from a 2020 BND intelligence report. The report was not revealed to the public until now. According to research, the Wuhan Institute of Virology was allegedly experimenting on modifying viruses to test their ability to infect human beings.
The BND’s probe was allegedly carried out under the codename “Project Saaremaa” in Berlin. Intelligence sources mentioned several infractions of laboratory safety procedures at the Wuhan lab. While no final evidence has been offered, the BND tagged the lab-leak hypothesis as “plausible.” The results were said to have been passed to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the autumn of 2023.
China’s Reaction
China has consistently dismissed the lab-leak theory. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning reiterated the official line, saying the origin of Covid-19 needed to be decided scientifically and not politicized. She referenced a 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) and Chinese expert study that found a lab leak was “highly unlikely.”
“The conclusion that the virus was leaked from a laboratory by accident is extremely unlikely. This scientifically verified result has been supported by the international community and scientists,” Mao Ning said.
Ongoing Debate about Covid-19 Origins
The Covid-19 origins have been a source of intense scientific and political debate. Early scientists had promoted the assumption that the virus originated from bats and spread to the human population through an intermediary host organism. However, despite extensive research work, no such direct animal host that was genetically linked to the Covid-19 virus was discovered.
The lab-leak theory, which had been dismissed, is again popular with intelligence agencies. The CIA stated in January 2024 that it was “more likely” that the coronavirus was of laboratory origin rather than due to natural animal transmission.
While the BND report has helped raise further doubts over the natural-origin theory, it remains inconclusive. Both outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the BND have declined to comment further on the matter.
Scientific Challenges and Future Investigations
Despite the earlier findings of WHO, there were some scientists that criticized its report in 2021 for not adequately examining the lab-leak theory. The investigation had but a passing mention of the hypothesis in a report that was over hundreds of pages.
As more scientists and intelligence services revisit the origin of Covid-19, the question remains open. The findings of the BND may inspire further independent scientific work, but clear-cut evidence about the origin of the virus remains absent. Until then, the debate will most likely continue.