COVID-19 lab leak theory

A highly controversial hypothesis holds that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, originated from a laboratory. The scientific consensus is that the virus is not the result of genetic engineering; instead, most scientists believe it spread to human populations through natural zoonotic transmission from bats, similar to the SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV outbreaks and other pandemics throughout human history. Available evidence indicates that SARS-CoV-2 was originally harbored by bats and transmitted to humans through infected wild animals serving as intermediate hosts at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019. Several candidate animal species have been identified as potential intermediaries. There is no evidence supporting laboratory involvement, no indication that the virus existed in any lab prior to the pandemic, and no record of suspicious biosecurity incidents.