Did coronavirus come from a lab leak in Wuhan? Some scientists say it’s credible

Xavier Becerra, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and former California Attorney General, told the World Health Organization on Tuesday that the U.S. wants to know more about where coronavirus came from. Today, President Biden asked the intelligence community for a report within 90 days to determine whether COVID stemmed from a “laboratory accident.”

Early in the pandemic, the idea that coronavirus escaped from a Chinese lab seemed like a far-fetched conspiracy theory. And for the most part, the media treated it like one, on par with QAnon or faking the moon landing.

But now, nearly 18 months after COVID appeared in Wuhan, and with still very little understanding of its origin story, people are taking the so-called “lab leak” idea more seriously. Some scientists are open to the idea, while others adamantly reject it.