Officials probe the threat of a coronavirus bioweapon
Defense and intelligence officials are throwing more resources at the possibility that adversaries will deploy the virus against U.S. targets.
By NATASHA BERTRAND, DANIEL LIPPMAN and LARA SELIGMAN
04/23/2020 05:00 PM EDT
The Pentagon and the intelligence community are more forcefully investigating the possibility that adversaries could use the novel coronavirus as a bioweapon, according to defense and intelligence officials, in a shift that reflects the national security apparatus’ evolving understanding of the virus and its risks.
Officials emphasized that the change does not mean they believe the virus was purposefully created to be weaponized—the intelligence community is still investigating the virus’ potential origins, but there is currently no hard intelligence or scientific evidence to support the theory that it spread from a lab in China, people briefed on the matter said.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/23/coronavirus-bioweapon-threat-205192
