Efforts continue to uncover the origin of the coronavirus, which began spreading from the Chinese city of Wuhan to the rest of the world over a year ago, resulting in millions of victims and substantial economic losses globally. U.S. intelligence agencies have investigated a treasure trove of genetic data that could be key to revealing the virus's origin once they manage to decipher it.
This vast amount of information contains genetic blueprints derived from virus samples studied in the Wuhan laboratory, which some officials believe may have been the source of the virus outbreak, according to several sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN. The network reported that it is not clear exactly how or when U.S. intelligence agencies accessed this information, noting that the systems involved in generating and processing such genetic data from viruses are typically linked to external cloud-based servers, leaving room for potential breaches.
**Significant Challenges in Understanding the Data**
However, translating this massive amount of raw data into usable information presents a set of challenges, including harnessing sufficient computing power to process all of it. To achieve this, intelligence agencies rely on supercomputers at national laboratories under the Department of Energy, a group of 17 prestigious government research institutions. There is also a workforce issue, as intelligence agencies not only need government scientists with the skills to interpret complex genetic sequencing data and adequate security clearances, but they also need speakers of Mandarin, as the information is written in Chinese with specialized vocabulary.
**How Did the Virus Spread?**
A source familiar with the intelligence information told CNN, "There are scientists who have been cleared," adding, "but those who speak Mandarin and have been cleared are a very small group." Officials who conducted the 90-day review hope this information will help answer questions about how the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. Additionally, several sources told the network that solving this mystery is essential to determining whether COVID-19 leaked from the laboratory or was transmitted to humans from wild animals.
