Germany hid intelligence proving Covid likely came from Wuhan lab

In early 2020, Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND) began an investigation into the origins of Covid-19, spurred by rising concerns over the pandemic's outbreak in Wuhan, China. The BND's investigation included analyzing public data and intelligence concerning Chinese research facilities, particularly the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Initial findings included evidence of high-risk experiments involving the modification of naturally occurring viruses and significant safety breaches within the laboratory. After evaluating collected data, BND analysts determined with an 80 to 95% certainty that the virus likely originated from a lab accident. These sensitive findings were presented to Angela Merkel's government, which opted not to disclose them to the public, the World Health Organization, or the German parliament due to fears of political repercussions and potential diplomatic strains with both China and the United States. Merkel's administration's decision stemmed from concerns over the possible fallout should the information be perceived as erroneous or impact international relations negatively. The intelligence was kept secret, a stance continued by Merkel's successor, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who, despite being skeptical about BND's conclusions, also refrained from public disclosure initially. It wasn't until late 2024 that the BND was given permission to share its findings more broadly, including with the CIA and select scientific professionals, who would engage with the intelligence on the condition that they keep it confidential. In January 2025, the CIA expressed its belief that Covid-19 likely originated in a laboratory, though with low confidence. Additionally, this disclosure from intelligence sources caused a stir in political and scientific communities, as previous conversations around the virus's origins had been dominated by natural transmission theories, which the Chinese government vehemently supported and advocated. Moving forward, discussions surrounding the origins of Covid-19 revealed deep-seated political sensitivities. The process of assessing the origins of a global pandemic carried profound implications for international relations, scientific integrity, and public health policy. Following the investigations by Die Zeit and Sueddeutsche Zeitung, pressures mounted for Germany to make its findings public, leading to commitments from the government to share these insights with parliament and the World Health Organization in the future. The emerging discourse indicates a burgeoning willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about the pandemic's inception and how they relate to broader geopolitical dynamics, echoing calls for transparency in public health matters and historical accountability.