WHO report states zoonotic spillover is most likely COVID-19 origin but lab leak remains on table

The WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) issued a report concluding that the weight of available evidence suggests zoonotic spillover, either directly from bats or through an intermediate host, as the most likely origin of COVID-19. However, the report states all hypotheses must remain on the table, including lab leak. SAGO requested that China share hundreds of genetic sequences from early COVID-19 cases, information about animals sold at Wuhan markets, and details about laboratory work and biosafety conditions. China has not shared this information. The U.S. Intelligence Community remains divided, with some agencies assessing a lab origin is more likely while others favor natural emergence.