More than five years since the first reported cases of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, and after more than 20 million deaths globally, the world is still left without a definitive answer to the question that has haunted scientists, politicians, and the public alike: How did COVID-19 begin?The origins of COVID-19, the pandemic that has reshaped the 21st century, remain one of the most pressing and contentious mysteries in global health. After more than three years of investigation, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) expert group has released its final report—yet the world is left with more questions than answers. Despite unprecedented scientific collaboration and scrutiny, the true source of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, remains elusive.The World Health Organization (WHO), after years of probing, released its final report through the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), offering an unsettling conclusion — the origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains unconfirmed. While the report aligns with the hypothesis that the virus likely spilled over from animals to humans, it stops short of ruling out a laboratory-related incident due to a critical lack of evidence.At the core of the WHO investigation is the zoonotic spillover theory — the widely supported scientific view that SARS-CoV-2 originated in animals and jumped to humans. According to Marietjie Venter, chair of the SAGO expert group, “most scientific data supports the hypothesis that the new coronavirus jumped to humans from animals.”This aligns with the WHO’s earlier 2021 mission to China, which also concluded that the virus most likely moved from bats to humans, potentially through an intermediary host. That earlier group had called a lab leak “extremely unlikely.” Since then, however, the landscape of inquiry has become increasingly politicized and restricted.At a press briefing, SAGO chair Marietjie Venter summarized the group’s findings: “Most scientific data supports the hypothesis that the new coronavirus jumped to humans from animals.” This zoonotic spillover theory, suggesting the virus moved from bats to humans—possibly via an intermediary animal—remains the most widely supported scenario. This aligns with the conclusions of an earlier WHO investigation in 2021, which also found a natural origin most likely and considered a laboratory accident “extremely unlikely” at the time.The Zoonotic HypothesisThe scientific consensus points to a zoonotic origin, with bats as the primary reservoir for coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2. The virus’s genetic makeup closely resembles that of bat coronaviruses, and several animal species, including civet cats, raccoon dogs, and bamboo rats, have been investigated as possible intermediate hosts. Studies have shown that the ACE2 receptor, which SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter cells, is present in a range of mammals, supporting the plausibility of animal-to-human transmission.Recent research has narrowed the list of potential intermediary species but has not identified a definitive culprit. The lack of direct evidence—such as an animal sample with a virus genetically identical to early human cases—means the zoonotic pathway, while likely, cannot be proven beyond doubtThe Lab Leak TheoryThough some governments, including the United States under former President Donald Trump, have promoted the possibility that COVID-19 emerged from a lab accident in Wuhan, WHO’s recent report makes it clear that this theory remains speculative. “There is no evidence to prove that COVID-19 was manipulated in a lab,” said Venter. “Nor is there any indication that the virus had been spreading outside of China before December 2019.”The WHO advisory group reported that despite repeated requests, they were unable to obtain essential data from Chinese authorities — including genetic sequences from early COVID-19 patients, detailed records of animals sold at the Wuhan seafood market, and biosafety logs from relevant Wuhan laboratories. These missing data points continue to impede the investigation.Crucially, the report confirms that the lab leak theory could not be adequately evaluated or ruled out because “the necessary data was never made available.” Venter emphasized that “the hypothesis could not be investigated or excluded” and that speculation was mostly “based on political opinions and not backed up by science.”Political Hurdles and Data GapsThe search for COVID-19’s origins has been hampered by political tensions and a lack of transparency. The Chinese government has restricted the publication of research on the virus’s origins and has tightly controlled access to relevant data and sites. International investigators have faced obstacles, from denied access to key locations to the withholding of crucial genetic information.These barriers have fueled speculation and mistrust, particularly regarding the lab leak theory. While some Western officials and scientists have called for more rigorous investigation of laboratory records and staff health data, Chinese authorities have repeatedly dismissed such inquiries and suggested the search for origins should expand to other countries.In retrospect, the window for unbiased scientific investigation may have passed. An Associated Press (AP) investigation previously revealed that China clamped down on both domestic and international efforts to trace the virus’s origins in the early weeks of 2020. WHO, too, was accused of failing to act swiftly or assertively enough during the critical early months of the pandemic.WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly called uncovering the virus’s origins a “moral imperative.” At Friday’s press conference, he reiterated this point: “Understanding how COVID-19 began is not about blame — it is about science, preparedness, and protecting the world from future pandemics.”While definitive answers remain elusive, scientific efforts to identify a possible intermediary animal host are ongoing. Last year, researchers narrowed their focus to several species — including raccoon dogs, civet cats, and bamboo rats — believed to have been sold at Wuhan’s Huanan Seafood Market.However, WHO said that until China releases critical genetic sequences from both animals and early human cases, the mystery remains unresolved. “Until more scientific data becomes available, the origins of how SARS-CoV-2 entered human populations will remain inconclusive,” Venter admitted.What This Means for the Future?With each passing year, the trail of the virus grows colder. Biological samples degrade, memories fade, and geopolitical tensions deepen. Yet, the stakes remain enormous. As the world grapples with long COVID, vaccine fatigue, and the enduring socioeconomic scars of the pandemic, the need for clear, evidence-based origin tracing is more urgent than ever.COVID-19 was not the first pandemic, and it will not be the last. As Dr. Tedros aptly put it, “We owe it to the millions of people who lost their lives to COVID-19, and to the billions whose lives were upended, to understand what happened and to ensure it never happens again.”Three years on, the story of how COVID-19 began is still unfinished. The WHO probe has advanced our understanding but has also revealed the limits of science in the face of missing data and political barriers. For now, the world must contend with uncertainty, even as the search for answers continues. The origins of the pandemic may remain a mystery, but the imperative to learn, adapt, and prepare for the next global health threat has never been clearer.