Bangladesh, Jan. 27 -- In a significant update on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, the CIA has announced that it “assesses with low confidence” that the virus likely originated from a research-related incident, rather than through natural zoonotic transmission. This cautious conclusion, shared on January 25, reflects the agencys evolving stance on one of the most contentious questions of the global health crisis that has claimed over seven million lives worldwide. While the agency noted that both origin scenarios remain plausible, it emphasized that new data could alter the evaluation.

The revised assessment was made public shortly after the confirmation of John Ratcliffe as the new CIA director, following his nomination...