96.11% similarity in RNA-sequence does mean it certainly is connected. But it means also that much has changed or been changed to create SARS_CoV_2 from it.
Not only the ACE2-receptor-connector for Human targetting, also the 4 GOF parts, that are HIV-1 like.
This was hindered by Obama who put a stop on GOF.
>sciencemag.org/news/2017/12/n…
From 2014-end 2017 (Trump)
So the research went to China (where also many bat-caves are).
Where (and when) was the SARS_CoV_2 strain "A" created ?
We have a good probability (80%) that it escaped around or before June 2019 from Fort Detrick Md, because of various signs of "mysterious Respiratory outbreaks" in care-houses around it.
In Wuhan, or shortly after their return, "lots of" respiratory illnesses occurred and the military (France, Italy) were asked not to talk to journalists, but leave that to the Army.