The CIA’s new assessment suggests COVID-19 likely originated from a Chinese lab, though it maintains low confidence in this conclusion. The finding, based on prior intelligence, may not resolve ongoing debates about the virus’s origins,

The Central Intelligence Agency said Saturday that it’s more likely a lab leak caused the Covid-19 pandemic than an infected animal that spread the virus to people, changing the agency’s yearslong stance that it couldn’t conclude with certainty where the pandemic started.

The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment released Saturday that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion.