The statement from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the clearing house for the web of US spy agencies, comes as US President Donald Trump and his allies have touted the as-yet-unproven theory that an infectious disease lab in Wuhan, the original epicentre of the Chinese outbreak, was the source of the global pandemic that has so far killed more than 220,000 people worldwide.
In recent days, the Trump administration has sharpened its rhetoric on China, accusing the US’ geopolitical foe and vital trading partner of failing to act swiftly enough to stop the spread of the virus that causes Covid-19 or sound the alarm to the world about the outbreak. “The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the Covid-19 virus was not man-made or genetically modified,” the statement said.
