The U.S. Energy Department has found that the Covid pandemic most likely originated from an accidental laboratory leak, according to a classified intelligence report recently made available to key members of Congress and the White House. This shift from the previous position of the department—which was declared undecided about the origins of the coronavirus—challenges the assessments of other intelligence agencies, which have not changed their prior conclusions.

To gain clarity, officials from the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines' office pulled together new intelligence which conveyed the Energy Department's conclusion, though it was determined to be of "low confidence". This news has sparked interest in determining the origin of the pandemic and taking any lessons into account for the future, as Covid has caused nearly seven million deaths to date.