In a long-awaited development, a scientific committee convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) has rejected two controversial theories about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, but said the actual trigger for the global outbreak remains uncertain.
The expert panel’s report, released this week, categorically ruled out the suggestion that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, was artificially created in a laboratory. It also dismissed the theory — heavily promoted by the Chinese government — that the virus was introduced into China through imported frozen seafood.
The panel found “no compelling evidence” to support the idea that scientists genetically engineered the virus. “There is currently no available evidence that indicates that SARS-CoV-2 has been manufactured in a laboratory or engineered in any way,” the report stated.
Similarly, the theory that frozen seafood imports were the initial vector for the virus into Wuhan, the city where the first known outbreak occurred, lacked scientific credibility. “There is insufficient evidence to conclude that imported frozen products played a role in the introduction of the virus into China,” the experts said.
This scientific panel was established by WHO in 2021 following the intense global debate over how the pandemic began. The goal was to thoroughly examine all plausible hypotheses and help prevent future pandemics through a better understanding of how this one started.
Despite nearly five years since the virus emerged, the origin remains unresolved. The committee acknowledged that there is still no definitive proof to determine whether the virus jumped naturally from animals to humans — likely through an intermediate species — or whether it accidentally leaked from a laboratory such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
However, the panel’s conclusion leaned toward a zoonotic (natural) spillover origin, aligning with an earlier 2021 WHO-China joint study, which described a natural jump from animals to humans as the “most likely scenario.”
Dr. Jean-Claude Manuguerra, co-chair of the WHO Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), noted in a press briefing, “Our report does not deliver the definitive answer the world is seeking, but it does eliminate theories not grounded in evidence.”
The panel also expressed frustration at the limited access to data from China. Many scientists have called for greater transparency, especially in releasing raw data related to the earliest cases in Wuhan and the animals sold at the Huanan seafood market, which has been linked to early infections.
Virologist Angela Rasmussen, one of the experts involved in earlier origin studies, welcomed the WHO report. “It reinforces what most scientists already agree on: there’s no credible evidence for a lab origin, and fish imports don’t carry coronaviruses.”
The report emphasized the need for continued investigations and called on all countries — particularly China — to cooperate fully and share data with the global scientific community. It also stressed the importance of establishing a robust international framework for investigating future pathogen outbreaks.
As the COVID-19 death toll exceeds 7 million worldwide, the pressure to uncover the pandemic’s origin remains high. While the report does not provide final answers, it represents another step in the ongoing search for truth — a process that scientists say must be driven by data, not politics.
Sources:
- World Health Organization official report, July 2025
- Press Briefing by WHO SAGO, Geneva
- Statements from scientific experts via Nature and The Lancet
