German Federal Intelligence Service Believes in Laboratory Accident in China as Trigger for Corona Pandemic
The basis for the BND's findings on the Corona pandemic are public data analyses and material from an intelligence operation called "Saaremaa". This includes scientific data from Chinese research institutions, including the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The material points to risky gain-of-function experiments and numerous violations of laboratory safety regulations.
Numerous Indications of a Laboratory Origin of Corona
According to a report by the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung", there has been an exchange of several specialized scientists at the BND in recent weeks, in which the German Chancellery was also involved. After extensive investigations, there are numerous indications of a laboratory origin. However, the NZZ also writes that not all involved researchers are equally convinced that the virus clearly comes from the laboratory. Some, however, see a growing likelihood that the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The BND did not want to comment on the reports upon request.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic at the end of 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, there have been discussions about whether the virus originated from a laboratory or was transmitted from animals to humans at a market. The Chinese government vehemently denies the laboratory version. The background to the debate is also that work was being done in China on so-called SARS-like corona viruses in laboratories. In January, the US intelligence agency CIA announced that it suspected the coronavirus originated from a laboratory. The US agency had previously stated for years that it could not say whether the coronavirus stemmed from a laboratory incident or was of natural origin.
The answer to the question of the virus's origin is considered highly political. In recent years, hundreds of millions of people worldwide have fallen ill and millions have died. The pandemic also led to a dramatic global economic downturn and social tensions.
(APA/Red)
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