The CIA investigated the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, and determined, with low confidence, the origin was likely a lab leak in China.

Newly-confirmed CIA Director John Ratcliffe told Fox News the decision to release a Biden-era analysis favoring the COVID-19 lab leak theory is a step toward transparency.

The news comes after the CIA announced over the weekend that COVID-19 most likely originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2020.

The US spy agency points the finger at China while acknowledging it has "low confidence" in its own conclusion, which is based on fresh analysis of intelligence about the spread of the virus.

The report was declassified and released on Saturday on the orders of President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, John Ratcliffe.

World Health Organization chief says agency already cutting back on hiring and travel with Trump withdrawal set to hit funding.

Public health experts say the United States’ departure could cripple the WHO’s operations or leave an opening for China to assume greater control over the agency.

The CIA now believes the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic most likely originated from a laboratory, according to an assessment that points the finger at China even while acknowledging that the spy agency has “low confidence” in its own conclusion.

World: Covid-19 origin theory, Donald Trump's pick, John Ratcliffe, the new CIA chief, has been a long-time supporter of the lab leak theory.

Founded in 2023, PHTI is an offshoot of the nonprofit Peterson Center on Healthcare, which aims to lower health care costs. It was founded by Peter G. Peterson, the late billionaire and former secretary of commerce for President Richard Nixon. PHTI helps health systems evaluate their technology to reduce health care spending.

Federal workers are facing fresh anxieties with President Donald Trump’s first week of actions targeting agencies, including those that lead the federal government’s health policies.