The problem for the lab-leak position is that the U.S. has never had access to the Wuhan lab and has thus been unable to reach a definitive answer for more than five years. Now that the CIA has at last come to a conclusion, not all scientists are sold on what it has reported, seeing the results as thinly scientifically sourced.

After years of speculation, the CIA has weighed in yet again: A lab leak is now considered the likely origin of the COVID pandemic. However, the agency admits it has "low confidence" in its conclusion and says both a natural origin and a research-related incident are still possible.