US intelligence community: “Virus was not developed as a biological weapon”

The US intelligence community does not believe the new coronavirus was developed as a biological weapon, Report informs, citing a report published on the website of the Office of the Director of US National Intelligence.

"We believe the virus was not designed as a biological weapon," the document says. Most of the country's intelligence agencies also believe that the virus "probably has not been genetically altered". However, two intelligence agencies believe that there is "insufficient data" for such assessments.

US intelligence believes the new coronavirus has begun to spread due to transmission from an animal or a laboratory-related incident.

Cooperation from China is likely necessary to establish the origin of the new coronavirus, Washington believes.