The German intelligence agency reportedly believes that an incident at a laboratory in China probably caused the COVID-19 outbreak, according to media reports. The evidence they gathered supposedly suggests that there was carelessness at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the BND, determined that the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic in 2020 might have resulted from an incident at a Chinese lab involved in viral studies, according to reports by German media outlets on Wednesday.
The pandemic led to the deaths of millions worldwide due to the respiratory diseaseCOVID-19, while the repercussions of this disaster persistently impact global economies and exacerbate social tensions.
Suspected dangerous viral study techniques in Wuhan
As per reports in the German media,
Süddeutsche Zeitung
and
Zeit
The BND reached its conclusion by analyzing materials sourced from both the public domain and those gathered during an inquiry codenamed “Saaremaa.”
The material, which included information sourced from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China — the city thought to be the origin point of the pandemic — suggested that dangerous experimental techniques were employed at the facility. This was further complicated by violations of lab safety protocols, according to the reports.
Reports indicated that scientists in Wuhan conducted what are known as gain-of-function experiments, where naturally occurring viruses were altered. This type of research has the potential to modify how a virus induces disease, enhances its ability to spread from host to host, and expands the range of species it can infect.
There were also indications that there had been numerous violations of
laboratory safety guidelines,
according to the reports.
As early as 2020, according to the documents, the BND had arrived at these findings. They assigned this conclusion an estimated probability of between 80% and 95%. However, this evaluation remained undisclosed to the general public at that time.
What has China stated regarding the origin of COVID?
China
has always denied
that the Wuhan laboratory was the source of the outbreak.
Nevertheless, in January, the United States Secret Service, specifically the CIA,
stated that it believed the coronavirus responsible for the pandemic, known as SARS-CoV-2, probably originated from a lab.
even though it warned that it had “limited confidence” in the conclusion.
The FBI also made a similar statement
in March 2023.
Alternative theories suggest that the pandemic initially emerged in 2019.
In a marketplace where meats from wild creatures are sold in Wuhan.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
Author: Timothy Jones (along with Reuters and AFP contributions)
