Question Period Note: Origin of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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The precise origin of COVID-19 remains unknown. There has been an increase in media attention regarding its origins following a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article on February 25, 2023. The WSJ reported that a classified U.S. intelligence report indicates that the U.S. Energy Department concluded with ‘low confidence’ that the COVID-19 pandemic arose from a laboratory incident.
Key Messages
• Canada is supportive of all efforts that will contribute to a clear understanding of the origins of the virus.
• This work must continue to follow the facts, be independent and transparent, and be free from politicization or interference.
• It is not possible to provide an informed opinion on the conclusions reported in the media at this time as we have not had the opportunity to review the U.S. Energy Department’s report or supporting evidence.

If pressed on Canada’s perspective on the origin of COVID-19:

• Canada continues to work with international partners to better understand the origins of COVID-19.
• We are supportive of a collaborative, transparent, and science-based international process.
• International cooperation to pinpoint the origins of COVID-19 could assist in mitigating future pandemics.

In addition to the U.S. Energy Department’s conclusion that the pandemic arose from a laboratory incident, previous reports suggest that the Federal Bureau of Investigation also concluded with ‘moderate confidence’ (2021) that the virus likely spread via an unintended laboratory-related incident. Four other US intelligence agencies, and a national intelligence panel, concluded that transmission from an infected animal was likely, and two other Agencies did not reach a conclusion.
While the analyses from the agencies differed, the Wall Street Journal reported that there is an existing consensus that COVID-19 was not the result of a biological-weapons program.
There are currently four hypotheses regarding the pathway of emergence, including:
• Direct zoonotic transmission, or a spillover event;
• Introduction through an intermediate host followed by zoonotic transmission, or spillover;
• Introduction through the cold/food chain; or
• Introduction through a laboratory incident.

At this time, there is no consensus amongst the intelligence community on the origins of COVID-19.

Mission on the origins of COVID-19
• On January 14, 2021, a team of WHO-convened international experts went on a mission to China to trace the zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2 and its route of introduction into the human population. On March 30th, following the release of the full report of the WHO-convened COVID-19 origins study, 14 countries – including Canada – joined a U.S.-led Joint Statement on the study. The Statement reiterated commitment to working with the WHO and global community to understand the origins of the pandemic, expressed concerns regarding the study (e.g. that it was delayed and the lack of access to complete, original data and samples), and underscored the need for further study on the origins. The European Union (EU) also issued a joint statement and New Zealand subsequently released a statement following the publication of the report. On April 7, the New York Times published an open letter from a group of scientists to highlight similar shortfalls of the mission and to call for another investigation.
• At the 74th World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2021, Canada spoke to the importance of international scientific collaboration and information sharing, and the need for additional data-driven studies to understand the origins of the virus. The U.S., the EU, Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany expressed similar messages.
• On July 28, 2021, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, supported a statement from the U.S. Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which called on China to reconsider its decision to not engage in the next phase of the origins study. Canada sent a supportive letter to WHO DG Tedros to express appreciation for sharing a clear path forward for the second phase of the origins study.

Subsequent WHO actions:
• The WHO established a new Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) in 2021; this new technical structure serves all Member States and provides advice to the WHO Secretariat on technical and scientific collaboration regarding novel pathogens.
o SAGO convened its first meeting on November 23rd, 2021.
• WHO released a statement on August 12th, 2021. The statement emphasized the need for depoliticization and cooperation, and not finger-pointing or attributing blame, noting:
o WHO priority is for scientists to build on the first phase of studies, implement the recommendations outlined in the March 2021 report and accelerate scientific efforts on all hypotheses, including examining the raw data from the earliest cases and sera from potential early cases in 2019.
o WHO are working with a number of countries that have reported detection of SARS-CoV-2 in samples from stored biological specimens from 2019. They encouraged sharing raw data and giving permission for the retesting of samples in labs for all countries, including China.
o China and a number of other Member States have written to WHO regarding the basis for further studies of the SARS-CoV-2 “lab hypothesis” and to express concern about the politicization of origin-studies.
o Based on the review of the phase one study report, the WHO determined that there was insufficient scientific evidence to rule out any of the hypotheses.
o Further, to address the “lab hypothesis,” it is important to have access to all data and consider scientific best practice; analysing and improving lab safety and protocols in all laboratories around the world, including in China, is an important endeavor for biosafety and security.

Key Facts
• The closest known sequence to SARS-CoV-2 is a sequence of a strain of coronavirus previously identified by genetic sequencing from a horseshoe bat. The possible intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2 remains unknown, but plausible options include a domestic animal, a wild animal, or a domesticated wild animal.
• Additional data-driven studies, inclusive of broad expertise, are needed to better understand the origins of COVID-19.