U.S. Energy Department Assesses Lab Leak Origins of COVID-19 with Low Confidence

Ashley Skladany
Staff Writer

The U.S. Department of Energy has recently changed its assessment on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing that the virus “most likely emerged from a laboratory leak” rather than a natural spillover event, according to CNBC. However, the conclusion has been given a “low confidence” rating and has not been viewed as significant among other intelligence agencies due to ongoing disagreements and a lack of evidence regarding COVID-19’s origins. A professional in science and international security, Dr. Filippa Lentezos of King’s College London told The Guardian that the low confidence rating generally indicates that the information which was used in the analysis has significant concerns or problems with it, making it questionable and unreliable.

The ongoing debate about the origins of COVID-19 has been heavily politicized and has become a key point of controversy. The Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has researched coronaviruses for years, has been at the center of the controversy, with some experts believing that a lab accident could have caused the pandemic, the Associated Press reports. Viral evolution scientist Professor David Robertson at the University of Glasgow raised concerns that the DOE’s revision will only contribute to greater “vague rumors” of misinformation that have continued to flood political spheres. China denies that COVID-19 originated from a laboratory leak, calling the theory a “conspiracy.”

Another point of contention has been the lack of transparency from Beijing, which has heavily influenced the data and personnel available to the World Health Organization and other agencies. However, the WHO and the Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens continue to examine all available scientific evidence to advance knowledge of the origin of COVID-19.

While the DOE’s recent assessment provides new information about the origin of COVID-19, it is not a definitive answer. In mid-2021, when Joe Biden asked the U.S. intelligence community to investigate the pandemic’s origins, only one agency initially blamed a laboratory accident. Other U.S. intelligence agencies disagreed with the conclusion, and some did not gather enough information to determine the origins of the virus. The DOE’s revision reveals “that a single undecided vote” has flipped into the “lag-leak camp,” The Atlantic says. Professor Angie Rasmussen of the University of Saskatchewan in Canada finds the new information “weak” and not compelling enough to challenge previous findings. Additionally, USA Today emphasizes several scientific studies have suggested that the virus started with natural exposure to an infected animal. 

In light of the new information, Republican Senator Dan Sullivan has called for extensive public hearings to “really dig into” determining if COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese laboratory. The Senate Oversight Committee is currently reviewing the classified information provided by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence regarding the origins of COVID-19.

The lack of consensus among experts and intelligence agencies about the origins of COVID-19 highlights the need for transparency and further research on the evolution of viruses and pandemics. President Biden has supported the “thorough, careful, and objective work” by intelligence professionals, Forbes writes. Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, emphasizes that it is important for research to be done in a safe and secure manner and be as transparent as possible to the rest of the world for our future benefit.

While the U.S. Department of Energy’s recent assessment of the origins of COVID-19 suggests that the virus most likely emerged from a laboratory leak, the conclusion is not viewed as significant among the intelligence community due to disagreements about the origins of the virus. The controversy surrounding the origins of COVID-19 underscores the importance of determining the origins of the virus to prevent future pandemics and staunch politicization.

Image courtesy of Pouya Bazargard, Wikimedia Commons