BEIJING: China said Monday it was "extremely unlikely" Covid-19 came from a laboratory, after the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) said it believed the virus had more likely come from a lab rather than natural transmission.

The Central Intelligence Agency with a "low confidence" has changed its stance and concluded that it's likely the COVI-19 virus was leaked from a Chinese lab before it became a global pandemic five years ago.

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,