The report of an international team of scientists organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate how COVID-19 was first transmitted to humans was released on Tuesday. The UN health agency’s chief characterized it as a “welcome start,” but not conclusive.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, “This report is a significant beginning, but it is not the end. We haven’t discovered the virus’s origins yet, but we must try to pursue the research and leave no stone unturned.”
He praised the results of a 34-member team that visited Wuhan, China, in January, where the very first cases of the then-new coronavirus were discovered at the end of 2019. He noted that considering the amount of knowledge, they would require access from Chinese authorities “to data including biological samples from at least September” 2019 to comprehend the earliest events completely.
The team confirmed extensive contamination in Huanan’s large market, but they couldn’t pinpoint the source. The team also went to a few labs in Wuhan to look at the likelihood that the virus had spread into the human population as a result of laboratory contamination.
“All hypotheses stay on the table, finding the origins of a virus requires time, and we owe it to the planet to discover the source so we can collectively take measures to minimize the possibility of this occurring again. There is no way for a single research trip to provide all of the answers.” WHO’s chief said.
Report by:
Journalist/Photographer _ Florence Akano
Journalist/Photographer _ Olivier Noudjalbaye Dedingar
Posted: July 6, 2021 by CornerstoneCMG
Inconclusive Report of Covid-19 Origins – What Are The Remarks of WHO Chief?
The report of an international team of scientists organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate how COVID-19 was first transmitted to humans was released on Tuesday. The UN health agency’s chief characterized it as a “welcome start,” but not conclusive.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, “This report is a significant beginning, but it is not the end. We haven’t discovered the virus’s origins yet, but we must try to pursue the research and leave no stone unturned.”
He praised the results of a 34-member team that visited Wuhan, China, in January, where the very first cases of the then-new coronavirus were discovered at the end of 2019. He noted that considering the amount of knowledge, they would require access from Chinese authorities “to data including biological samples from at least September” 2019 to comprehend the earliest events completely.
The team confirmed extensive contamination in Huanan’s large market, but they couldn’t pinpoint the source. The team also went to a few labs in Wuhan to look at the likelihood that the virus had spread into the human population as a result of laboratory contamination.
“All hypotheses stay on the table, finding the origins of a virus requires time, and we owe it to the planet to discover the source so we can collectively take measures to minimize the possibility of this occurring again. There is no way for a single research trip to provide all of the answers.” WHO’s chief said.
Report by:
Journalist/Photographer _ Florence Akano
Journalist/Photographer _ Olivier Noudjalbaye Dedingar
Category: Covid-19, United Nation Tags: Covid-19, WHO