, Columnist
All Covid Origin Theories Carry a Major Asterisk Right Now
The Energy Department has “low confidence” in its findings about a Wuhan lab leak. That’s actually a good thing.
Members of the World Health Organization investigate the origins of Covid-19 in Wuhan.
Photographer: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The Department of Energy now finds a lab leak to be a likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. The truth remains unresolved, but the report got one thing right — it admitted to “low confidence” in its findings.
Low confidence is not a sign of weakness — quite the opposite. It’s a sign of honest scientific assessment and a welcome departure from a debate that’s been muddied by overconfidence.