The German intelligence agency BND has accumulated evidence suggesting that the coronavirus pandemic may have originated from a leak at a laboratory located in the Chinese city of Wuhan. This information has been corroborated by reports from three German and Swiss media outlets, which highlight the growing interest of authorities in this theory.
The BND, along with the German Chancellery, has requested a group of scientists to analyze the evidence collected in recent months. Some of them acknowledge an increase in the probability that the pandemic was caused by human error, although they still appear reluctant to make a definitive judgment.
The German government's deputy spokesperson, Christiane Hoffmann, commented to the media in Berlin that they have taken note of the recent reports, but avoided providing details about the findings and intelligence activities. According to this hypothesis, the Sars-CoV-2 virus would have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where research on coronaviruses was conducted, and its spread would have been the result of an accident or technical failure in the laboratory.
On the other hand, there is an alternative theory that argues the virus has a completely natural origin, similar to the SARS outbreak that occurred between 2002 and 2003. The Swiss newspaper reports that not all researchers who collaborated with the BND are convinced that the virus comes from the laboratory.
However, the results of this evaluation have not yet been disclosed, according to reports from the Swiss newspaper “Neue Zürcher Zeitung,” the German “Süddeutsche Zeitung,” and the weekly magazine “Die Zeit.” The theory of a “laboratory leak” has been a topic of debate for a long time, being considered a possible, albeit controversial, explanation for the origin of the global pandemic.
Additionally, it was mentioned that the relevant committees of the German Parliament, which operate under strict confidentiality, will be informed about these matters. It is worth noting that last January, John Ratcliffe, the new director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), reviewed his agency's assessment regarding the origin of the coronavirus as part of his first official decisions.
