Covid-19 could have emerged from a laboratory in China

COVID-19 probably arose from a Chinese laboratory, according to a report from the US Department of Energy

According to the Wall Street Journal, an Energy Department assessment found that the spread of Covid was likely due to a mishap at a research institute.

The Department of Energy joins the FBI in saying the virus likely came from a laboratory.

However, its origins remain uncertain and the US intelligence community remains divided.

According to the New York Times, intelligence officials briefed on the report said the theory was relatively weak and that the Energy Department had cited “little confidence” in its findings.

Other experts believe the virus originated from a food and animal market in the city.

The virus is believed to have first circulated in Wuhan, China no later than November 2019 and has since caused nearly 7 million deaths worldwide.