The World Health Organisation's (WHO) European branch said Thursday that patients experiencing post-Covid or long Covid symptoms needed to be heard to and understanding long-term consequences should be made a priority by health authorities.

The unit has reported that about one in 10 people who contracted the coronavirus continue to show "persistent ill health" 12 weeks after infection.

Thereby, in a policy brief released on Thursday, WHO Europe urged policymakers to do more to acknowledge and treat long COVID, which can bring severe fatigue, chest pain, heart inflammation, headache, forgetfulness, depression, loss of smell, recurrent fever, diarrhea and ringing in the ears.

While some studies are beginning to shed light on the illness, it is still unclear why some patients with Covid-19 continue to show symptoms for months, including tiredness, brain fog, and cardiac and neurological disorders.

"The burden is real and it is significant. About one in 10 Covid-19 sufferers remain unwell after 12 weeks, and many for much longer," Kluge said.

Noting that reports of long-term symptoms came soon after the disease was first discovered, he said that some patients were "met with disbelief or lack of understanding."

WHO Europe called on European countries and institutions to "come together as part of an integrated research agenda," harmonising data collection tools and study protocols.

The regional director also said he would bring together the 53 member countries of the WHO's European region, including several countries in Central Asia, "to set out a regional strategy."

In early February, WHO organised the first virtual seminar devoted to so called "Long Covid," in order to properly define it, give it a formal name and harmonise methods for studying it.

(with inputs from agencies)

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) European branch said Thursday that patients experiencing post-Covid or long Covid symptoms needed to be heard to and understanding long-term consequences should be made a priority by health authorities.

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) European branch said Thursday that patients experiencing post-Covid or long Covid symptoms needed to be heard to and understanding long-term consequences should be made a priority by health authorities. The unit has reported that about one in 10 people who contracted the coronavirus continue to show "persistent ill health" 12 weeks after infection. Thereby, in a policy brief released on Thursday, WHO Europe urged policymakers to do more to acknowledge and treat long COVID, which can bring severe fatigue, chest pain, heart inflammation, headache, forgetfulness, depression, loss of smell, recurrent fever, diarrhea and ringing in the ears. While some studies are beginning to shed light on the illness, it is still unclear why some patients with Covid-19 continue to show symptoms for months, including tiredness, brain fog, and cardiac and neurological disorders. "The burden is real and it is significant. About one in 10 Covid-19 sufferers remain unwell after 12 weeks, and many for much longer," Kluge said. Noting that reports of long-term symptoms came soon after the disease was first discovered, he said that some patients were "met with disbelief or lack of understanding." WHO Europe called on European countries and institutions to "come together as part of an integrated research agenda," harmonising data collection tools and study protocols. The regional director also said he would bring together the 53 member countries of the WHO's European region, including several countries in Central Asia, "to set out a regional strategy." In early February, WHO organised the first virtual seminar devoted to so called "Long Covid," in order to properly define it, give it a formal name and harmonise methods for studying it. (with inputs from agencies)

WHO urges actions for 'long COVID' sufferers

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser on Sunday urged the World Health Organization to dig deeper and China to release raw data on the origins of the COVID-19 virus, casting doubt on a completeness of coming report from the health organization.

“The only way to have a scientifically based investigation is to have access to all the data,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on “Face the Nation” on CBS, calling for “a credible, open, transparent international investigation led by the World Health Organization.”

The WHO sent a team of investigators, mostly scientists, to China for four weeks over January and February to investigate the origins of the virus. The team said after returning to the United States that Chinese scientists refused to give them access to patient records and other critical data. The investigators are already working on a preliminary report, but Sullivan said more research was needed.

“The WHO still has more work to do to get to the bottom of exactly where this virus emerged,” he said.

Toward the end of the show on which Sullivan aired his concerns, Matthew Pottinger, President Donald Trump’s former deputy national security adviser, made an appearance in which he continued to advance a discredited theory promoted by the previous administration and challenged by many scientists: that COVID-19 was the product of secret Chinese military experimentation in a lab in Wuhan, China.

While acknowledging some of the Trump administration’s “grave missteps,” such as not advising the American public soon enough to wear masks and not doing enough collection and analysis about how the virus was spreading and evolving genetically, Pottinger said China misled U.S. public health experts by not disclosing that the virus could spread silently, carried by people who did not show symptoms.

“We were waiting to be fed information when the nature of that regime meant that we were not going to get that information,” Pottinger said. “They had a strong incentive to mislead their own public and the rest of the world about the nature of this virus.”

During his appearance, Sullivan lamented a decision by the Trump administration to dismantle a special White House office that the Obama administration set up inside the National Security Council to detect and address pandemics. And Pottinger said that, based on the COVID-19 experience, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should establish “a new super body for pandemic preparedness and response,” with the person in charge attached to the White House.

Both men said that the U.S. intelligence community should have played a greater role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Sullivan said the Biden administration would be increasing “its tools, its resources, its practices to focus on detecting, preventing and responding to pandemics.”

Pottinger, a former Marine intelligence officer who resigned from the Trump administration after Trump supporters invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, said, “I don’t think that the intelligence community is going to be able to do more than that critical role of collecting and analyzing the information.”

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser on Sunday urged the World Health Organization to dig deeper and China to release raw data on the origins of the COVID-19 virus, casting doubt on a completeness of coming report from the health organization.

President Joe Biden’s national security adviser on Sunday urged the World Health Organization to dig deeper and China to release raw data on the origins of the COVID-19 virus, casting doubt on a completeness of coming report from the health organization. “The only way to have a scientifically based investigation is to have access to all the data,” Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, said on “Face the Nation” on CBS, calling for “a credible, open, transparent international investigation led by the World Health Organization.” The WHO sent a team of investigators, mostly scientists, to China for four weeks over January and February to investigate the origins of the virus. The team said after returning to the United States that Chinese scientists refused to give them access to patient records and other critical data. The investigators are already working on a preliminary report, but Sullivan said more research was needed. “The WHO still has more work to do to get to the bottom of exactly where this virus emerged,” he said. Toward the end of the show on which Sullivan aired his concerns, Matthew Pottinger, President Donald Trump’s former deputy national security adviser, made an appearance in which he continued to advance a discredited theory promoted by the previous administration and challenged by many scientists: that COVID-19 was the product of secret Chinese military experimentation in a lab in Wuhan, China. While acknowledging some of the Trump administration’s “grave missteps,” such as not advising the American public soon enough to wear masks and not doing enough collection and analysis about how the virus was spreading and evolving genetically, Pottinger said China misled U.S. public health experts by not disclosing that the virus could spread silently, carried by people who did not show symptoms. “We were waiting to be fed information when the nature of that regime meant that we were not going to get that information,” Pottinger said. “They had a strong incentive to mislead their own public and the rest of the world about the nature of this virus.” During his appearance, Sullivan lamented a decision by the Trump administration to dismantle a special White House office that the Obama administration set up inside the National Security Council to detect and address pandemics. And Pottinger said that, based on the COVID-19 experience, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should establish “a new super body for pandemic preparedness and response,” with the person in charge attached to the White House. Both men said that the U.S. intelligence community should have played a greater role in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Sullivan said the Biden administration would be increasing “its tools, its resources, its practices to focus on detecting, preventing and responding to pandemics.” Pottinger, a former Marine intelligence officer who resigned from the Trump administration after Trump supporters invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, said, “I don’t think that the intelligence community is going to be able to do more than that critical role of collecting and analyzing the information.”

Biden official says WHO needs to dig deeper on virus origins

The head of the World Health Organization on Sunday appealed to Tanzania to take "robust action" to combat Covid-19 in the country, where the president has long played down the virus.

President John Magufuli has claimed coronavirus has been has fended off by prayer in Tanzania and refused to take measures to curb its spread.&nbsp;

But a recent spate of deaths attributed to pneumonia has struck both members of the public and government officials.

And Magufuli on Friday appeared to admit the coronavirus was circulating in his country after months of denial.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/south-african-covid-19-strain-detected-in-4-returnees-centre-364086">South African Covid-19 strain detected in 4 returnees: Centre</a>

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a number of Tanzanians travelling to neighbouring countries and beyond have tested positive for the coronavirus.

"This underscores the need for Tanzania to take robust action both to safeguard their own people and protect populations in these countries and beyond," he said in a statement.

Tedros said he had urged Tanzania in late January to take measures against the pandemic and to prepare for vaccinations.

"Since then I have spoken with several authorities in Tanzania but WHO is yet to receive any information regarding what measures Tanzania is taking to respond to the pandemic.

Papaya, quail and goat

"This situation remains very concerning. I renew my call for Tanzania to start reporting COVID-19 cases and share data.

"I also call on Tanzania to implement the public health measures that we know work in breaking the chains of transmission, and to prepare for vaccination."

The country last gave case figures in April 2020, reporting 509 infections.

At the same time, Magufuli revealed he had secretly had a variety of items tested for the virus — of which papaya, a quail and a goat apparently tested positive.

On Wednesday, the vice president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, died after his opposition party admitted he had contracted coronavirus.

The head of the civil service, John Kijazi, also died Wednesday.&nbsp;

The cause of death has not been revealed. But Magufuli brought up Covid-19 at his funeral.

"When this respiratory disease erupted last year, we won because we put God first and took other measures. I'm sure we will win again if we do so this time around," he said.&nbsp;

However, dissent is mounting within the country to the government's position on the pandemic.

On Saturday, the Tanzania Law Society became the first professional body to call on the government to openly recognise the virus and take adequate measures.

The head of the World Health Organization on Sunday appealed to Tanzania to take "robust action" to combat Covid-19 in the country, where the president has long played down the virus.

The head of the World Health Organization on Sunday appealed to Tanzania to take "robust action" to combat Covid-19 in the country, where the president has long played down the virus. President John Magufuli has claimed coronavirus has been has fended off by prayer in Tanzania and refused to take measures to curb its spread. But a recent spate of deaths attributed to pneumonia has struck both members of the public and government officials. And Magufuli on Friday appeared to admit the coronavirus was circulating in his country after months of denial. Also read| South African Covid-19 strain detected in 4 returnees: Centre WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a number of Tanzanians travelling to neighbouring countries and beyond have tested positive for the coronavirus. "This underscores the need for Tanzania to take robust action both to safeguard their own people and protect populations in these countries and beyond," he said in a statement. Tedros said he had urged Tanzania in late January to take measures against the pandemic and to prepare for vaccinations. "Since then I have spoken with several authorities in Tanzania but WHO is yet to receive any information regarding what measures Tanzania is taking to respond to the pandemic. Papaya, quail and goat "This situation remains very concerning. I renew my call for Tanzania to start reporting COVID-19 cases and share data. "I also call on Tanzania to implement the public health measures that we know work in breaking the chains of transmission, and to prepare for vaccination." The country last gave case figures in April 2020, reporting 509 infections. At the same time, Magufuli revealed he had secretly had a variety of items tested for the virus — of which papaya, a quail and a goat apparently tested positive. On Wednesday, the vice president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar, Seif Sharif Hamad, died after his opposition party admitted he had contracted coronavirus. The head of the civil service, John Kijazi, also died Wednesday. The cause of death has not been revealed. But Magufuli brought up Covid-19 at his funeral. "When this respiratory disease erupted last year, we won because we put God first and took other measures. I'm sure we will win again if we do so this time around," he said. However, dissent is mounting within the country to the government's position on the pandemic. On Saturday, the Tanzania Law Society became the first professional body to call on the government to openly recognise the virus and take adequate measures.

WHO chief calls on Tanzania to combat COVID-19

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced that the United States will pay $200 million in WHO contribution by the end of February after reversing Donald Trump's plan to withdraw. Blinken said the US would also "provide significant financial support" to Covax, a global plan to distribute vaccines to the poorest nations.

Antony Blinken says US will pay $200 million in WHO contribution

More than 11,000 Ebola vaccines are expected to arrive in Guinea this weekend, with more to follow, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.

WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti told a news conference that 11,000 doses were being prepared in Geneva, while 8,600 more doses would be shipped from the United States. Mass inoculations could start as soon as Monday.

Health authorities in the region and international organisations aim to halt a resurgence of the disease in Guinea and Congo to prevent a repeat of the 2013-16 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, making it the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record.

The WHO has already asked six African countries to be alert for possible Ebola infections after Guinea reported new cases.

The Democratic Republic of Congo also said there was a new resurgence of a previous outbreak.

(with inputs from agencies)

More than 11,000 Ebola vaccines are expected to arrive in Guinea this weekend, with more to follow, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday. WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti told a news conference that 11,000 doses were being prepared in Geneva, while 8,600 more doses would be shipped from the United States.

More than 11,000 Ebola vaccines are expected to arrive in Guinea this weekend, with more to follow, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday. WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti told a news conference that 11,000 doses were being prepared in Geneva, while 8,600 more doses would be shipped from the United States. Mass inoculations could start as soon as Monday. Health authorities in the region and international organisations aim to halt a resurgence of the disease in Guinea and Congo to prevent a repeat of the 2013-16 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,300 people, mostly in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, making it the deadliest Ebola epidemic on record. The WHO has already asked six African countries to be alert for possible Ebola infections after Guinea reported new cases. The Democratic Republic of Congo also said there was a new resurgence of a previous outbreak. (with inputs from agencies)

WHO bats for over 11,000 Ebola vaccines in Guinea this weekend

The United States will pay more than $200 million to the World Health Organization by the end of the month after reversing Donald Trump's plan to withdraw, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The sum amounts to the commitments the United States had made to the global health body, to which it has been the largest donor.&nbsp;

"This is a key step forward in fulfilling our financial obligations as a WHO member and it reflects our renewed commitment to ensuring the WHO has the support it needs to lead the global response to the pandemic," Blinken told a virtual UN Security Council session on Covid-19.&nbsp;

"The United States will work as a partner to address global challenges. This pandemic is one of those challenges and gives us an opportunity not only to get through the current crisis, but also to become more prepared and more resilient for the future."&nbsp;

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Blinken said the United States would also 'provide significant financial support' to Covax, a global plan to distribute vaccines to the poorest nations.&nbsp;

Trump, who faced criticism for his handling of Covid in the United States, which has suffered the highest death toll of any nation, announced a pullout from the World Health Organization, saying it was beholden to China and did not do enough to stop the pandemic.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden immediately reversed the decision although his administration has also pressed China to be more forthcoming to a WHO team investigating the origins of the devastating virus.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/republican-accused-of-joining-devils-army-for-voting-to-impeach-donald-trump-364108">Republican accused of joining 'devil's army' for voting to impeach Donald Trump</a>

"All countries must make available all data from the earliest days of any outbreak," Blinken said.&nbsp;

"And going forward, all countries should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies so the world learns as much as possible, as soon as possible."&nbsp;

The United States will pay more than $200 million to the World Health Organization by the end of the month after reversing Donald Trump's plan to withdraw, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

The United States will pay more than $200 million to the World Health Organization by the end of the month after reversing Donald Trump's plan to withdraw, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. The sum amounts to the commitments the United States had made to the global health body, to which it has been the largest donor. "This is a key step forward in fulfilling our financial obligations as a WHO member and it reflects our renewed commitment to ensuring the WHO has the support it needs to lead the global response to the pandemic," Blinken told a virtual UN Security Council session on Covid-19. "The United States will work as a partner to address global challenges. This pandemic is one of those challenges and gives us an opportunity not only to get through the current crisis, but also to become more prepared and more resilient for the future." × Blinken said the United States would also 'provide significant financial support' to Covax, a global plan to distribute vaccines to the poorest nations. Trump, who faced criticism for his handling of Covid in the United States, which has suffered the highest death toll of any nation, announced a pullout from the World Health Organization, saying it was beholden to China and did not do enough to stop the pandemic. President Joe Biden immediately reversed the decision although his administration has also pressed China to be more forthcoming to a WHO team investigating the origins of the devastating virus. Also Read: Republican accused of joining 'devil's army' for voting to impeach Donald Trump "All countries must make available all data from the earliest days of any outbreak," Blinken said. "And going forward, all countries should participate in a transparent and robust process for preventing and responding to health emergencies so the world learns as much as possible, as soon as possible."

US to pay $200 million in WHO obligations: Blinken

Investigators who went to Wuhan have revealed that China didn't share raw data with the WHO team. Reports suggest that there were heated exchanges between both sides - and China 'refused to hand over important data.' WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas | COVID-19 Origins Probe: China 'refused to share' important data

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has listed two additional COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use which includes India's Covishield vaccine and the other one is produced by AstraZeneca.

WHO approves Covishield vaccine for emergency use

The World Health Organization approved the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. WHO cleared the vaccines manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and South Korean company SK Biopharmaceuticals.

WHO grants emergency approval to AstraZeneca vaccine

The US on Saturday raised concerns over the possibility of the Chinese govt's interference in the WHO's recent investigation into the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan.

COVID-19: China slams US over WHO probe concerns

China slammed the United States on Saturday saying Washington damaged multilateral cooperation and the WHO in recent years and should not be "pointing fingers" at Bejing and other countries that backed the global health agency during the pandemic.&nbsp;

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said that China welcomed the US's decision to re-engage with the WHO, but the country should hold itself to the “highest standards” instead of targetting other nations.

Watch |&nbsp;

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The comments came after the US expressed concerns over the investigation conducted by an independent committee of the WHO.

"We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. &nbsp;

Several WHO experts on Saturday said that China refused to share raw data which according to a member of the probe team is a "standard practice for an outbreak investigation," as quoted by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

The probe failed to solve the mystery of coronavirus origins, but Beijing claimed a diplomatic victory, saying that the report substantiates that the virus did not originate in China.&nbsp;

Experts believe that Covid-19 originated in bats and could have been transmitted to humans through another mammal, but when and where the outbreak began remains unclear.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

China slammed the United States on Saturday saying Washington damaged multilateral cooperation and the WHO in recent years and should not be "pointing fingers" at Bejing and other countries that backed the global health agency during the pandemic.

China slammed the United States on Saturday saying Washington damaged multilateral cooperation and the WHO in recent years and should not be "pointing fingers" at Bejing and other countries that backed the global health agency during the pandemic. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy said that China welcomed the US's decision to re-engage with the WHO, but the country should hold itself to the “highest standards” instead of targetting other nations. Watch | The comments came after the US expressed concerns over the investigation conducted by an independent committee of the WHO. "We have deep concerns about the way in which the early findings of the COVID-19 investigation were communicated and questions about the process used to reach them," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. Several WHO experts on Saturday said that China refused to share raw data which according to a member of the probe team is a "standard practice for an outbreak investigation," as quoted by news agency Reuters. The probe failed to solve the mystery of coronavirus origins, but Beijing claimed a diplomatic victory, saying that the report substantiates that the virus did not originate in China. Experts believe that Covid-19 originated in bats and could have been transmitted to humans through another mammal, but when and where the outbreak began remains unclear.

US damaged multilateral cooperation, should not be 'pointing fingers' at others: China

China refuses to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a world health organization led team probing the origin of a pandemic. Raw data could help answer crucial questions on the origin of a pandemic. WION brings you more details.

China refuse to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to a WHO led team

China has refused to provide WHO, the raw COVID-19 data on early cases, said Wall Street Journal on Friday. The report cited WHO investigators is said spoke of heated exchange over lack of detail.&nbsp;

World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded a month-long investigation into origin of COVID-19 in China. The team travelled to various parts of the country including the wet market in Wuhan, where the virus is understood to have caused the first outbreak.

As per the news report, the investigators were provided info about the analysis carried out by Chinese experts. They also provided aggregated data and retrospective analysis based on medical records made in the months preceding the viral outbreak. However, when WHO team asked for raw, personalised data, the request was denied. The raw data may have enabled WHO experts to carry out their own analysis. But it was not possible.

Thoughout WHO team's visit to China, authorities had kept close watch on the members as they visited various parts of the country. Information about their itinerary and immediate findings was not readily forthcoming. Many times, the media had to depend on individual tweets made by team members.

China has repeatedly denied that coronavirus had an origin in the country. The assertive claims have come in spite of country having been the first one to have a massive outbreak.

China has refused to provide WHO, the raw COVID-19 data on early cases, said Wall Street Journal on Friday. The report cited WHO investigators is said spoke of heated exchange over lack of detail.

China has refused to provide WHO, the raw COVID-19 data on early cases, said Wall Street Journal on Friday. The report cited WHO investigators is said spoke of heated exchange over lack of detail. World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded a month-long investigation into origin of COVID-19 in China. The team travelled to various parts of the country including the wet market in Wuhan, where the virus is understood to have caused the first outbreak. As per the news report, the investigators were provided info about the analysis carried out by Chinese experts. They also provided aggregated data and retrospective analysis based on medical records made in the months preceding the viral outbreak. However, when WHO team asked for raw, personalised data, the request was denied. The raw data may have enabled WHO experts to carry out their own analysis. But it was not possible. Thoughout WHO team's visit to China, authorities had kept close watch on the members as they visited various parts of the country. Information about their itinerary and immediate findings was not readily forthcoming. Many times, the media had to depend on individual tweets made by team members. China has repeatedly denied that coronavirus had an origin in the country. The assertive claims have come in spite of country having been the first one to have a massive outbreak.

China refused WHO raw COVID-19 data on early cases: Report 

Is the WHO team tasked with investigating the origins of the Wuhan virus divided over the findings? Two experts - who were a part of the team have revealed how some of the key data wasn't shared with the investigators in China.

Gravitas: Wuhan virus origins probe: Is the WHO team divided over the results?

The WHO report on Wuhan virus origins has led to a fight. An investigator has decried US intelligence on the origins, after the Biden administration said it will independently verify the WHO report. WION's Palki tells you how China is benefitting from this fight.

Gravitas: Washington and WHO clash over Wuhan virus origin probe

The World Health Organisation's Expert panel has recommended the wide use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. A few days back WHO warns South Africa to not halt the rollout of the vaccine that the govt found incapable of fighting new variant of the virus.

WHO experts back wide use of AstraZeneca Covid vaccine

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">global pandemic</a>, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak.

After a global uproar, the Chinese government finally relented, allowing a team of 14 scientists to visit laboratories, disease-control centers and live-animal markets over the past 12 days in the city of Wuhan.

Watch |&nbsp;

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But instead of scorn, the WHO experts on Tuesday delivered praise for Chinese officials and endorsed critical parts of their narrative, including some that have been contentious.

The WHO team opened the door to a theory embraced by Chinese officials, saying it was possible the virus might have spread to humans through shipments of frozen food, an idea that has gained little traction with scientists outside China. And the experts pledged to investigate reports that the virus might have been present outside China months before the outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019, a long-standing demand of Chinese officials.

“We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is,” Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virus expert on the WHO team, said at a three-hour news conference in Wuhan, where the experts presented their preliminary findings alongside Chinese scientists.

Some scientists worry that shifting attention to other countries could cause the investigation to lose its focus. Determining what happened in the early days of the outbreak in China is considered critical to avoiding another pandemic.

The team also played down the idea that the virus might have leaked accidentally from a Chinese-run laboratory, a notion that even some skeptical scientists say is worth exploring. This theory is different from a widely discredited one pushed by some Republicans in the United States, which claimed that a lab in China manufactured the virus for use as a bioweapon.

The WHO, by design, is beholden to its member countries and has long struck a diplomatic tone in dealing with the Chinese government, which is notoriously resistant to outside scrutiny. The inquiry is still in its earliest stages — it could take years — and WHO officials have promised a rigorous and transparent examination of data and research by China and other countries.

Still, the findings announced Tuesday gave Beijing a public relations win as it comes under attack from officials in the United States and elsewhere for its initial efforts to conceal the outbreak.

“This is the most authoritative support that China has received in terms of its official narrative,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Huang said the WHO should continue to press China for data and access.

“One visit is not enough time to do a thorough investigation,” he said. “They’re doing all the work within the parameters set by the Chinese government.”

The team did not report major breakthroughs but said it had found important clues. The virus was circulating in Wuhan several weeks before it appeared at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the earliest clusters were initially reported, the experts said. It most likely emerged in bats and spread to humans through another small mammal, though the experts said they have not been able to identify the species.

“All the work that has been done on the virus and trying to identify its origin continue to point toward a natural reservoir,” Peter K. Ben Embarek, a food safety scientist with the WHO who is leading the team of experts, said at the news conference.

Ben Embarek said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus might have emerged from a laboratory studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan.

The team last week met with leaders of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which houses a state-of-the-art laboratory, and Ben Embarek said that “it was very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place,” citing safety protocols there.

The WHO experts tried to focus their remarks Tuesday on the scientific aspects of the mission. But the inquiry has often been overshadowed by politics.

Some officials in the United States and other Western countries have cast doubt on the independence of the WHO investigation, arguing that China is seeking to control the outcome. The government repeatedly delayed the visit by WHO experts and sought to limit the scope of their mission. And authorities are firmly in control of research related to the virus in China, raising concerns that they might seek to prevent the release of embarrassing information.

The Chinese government has tried to shift the focus elsewhere, continuing to suggest that the virus may have originated overseas. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, recently suggested that the United States should allow the WHO to send investigators there as part of its inquiry.

Chinese officials heavily promoted the idea that the virus came from abroad at the news conference Tuesday, arguing that the search for the origin of the virus should focus on places outside China.

The investigation will “not be restricted to any location,” said Liang Wannian, who led the team of Chinese scientists assisting in the WHO mission. He said that Chinese researchers had found no evidence that the virus was circulating in China on a wide scale before December 2019.

In Washington, Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said at a regular news conference that the United States would wait to see the WHO’s report before drawing conclusions about its findings and how transparent Beijing had been with the investigators.

During their visit to Wuhan, the WHO team members said they were trying to steer clear of politics and promised to ask tough questions. While in Wuhan, where they submitted to two weeks of quarantine before beginning field work, they granted interviews to the news media and were photographed getting tested for the coronavirus. They turned to social media to bring more transparency to the visit, posting photos and comments about their talks with Chinese scientists.

The experts repeatedly praised their Chinese counterparts, saying the government had worked in good faith to grant access to important sites, including laboratories and markets. At the news conference Tuesday, the experts were cordial and did not challenge statements by their Chinese hosts.

The team will face pressure in coming months to not only resolve tricky scientific questions but to demonstrate that they are carrying out a fair-minded and tough investigation.

“China’s strategic narrative now is, ‘This has been the China part of the investigation, and we’ve done it, and let’s move on,”’ said Daniel R. Lucey, an infectious-disease specialist at Georgetown University.

Lucey said the experts would need to produce a breakthrough in order to demonstrate credibility.

“If the team doesn’t come up with something of substance,” he added, “there’s also the risk of people saying this was all just a show.”

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the global pandemic, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak.

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the global pandemic, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak. After a global uproar, the Chinese government finally relented, allowing a team of 14 scientists to visit laboratories, disease-control centers and live-animal markets over the past 12 days in the city of Wuhan. Watch | But instead of scorn, the WHO experts on Tuesday delivered praise for Chinese officials and endorsed critical parts of their narrative, including some that have been contentious. The WHO team opened the door to a theory embraced by Chinese officials, saying it was possible the virus might have spread to humans through shipments of frozen food, an idea that has gained little traction with scientists outside China. And the experts pledged to investigate reports that the virus might have been present outside China months before the outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019, a long-standing demand of Chinese officials. “We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is,” Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virus expert on the WHO team, said at a three-hour news conference in Wuhan, where the experts presented their preliminary findings alongside Chinese scientists. Some scientists worry that shifting attention to other countries could cause the investigation to lose its focus. Determining what happened in the early days of the outbreak in China is considered critical to avoiding another pandemic. The team also played down the idea that the virus might have leaked accidentally from a Chinese-run laboratory, a notion that even some skeptical scientists say is worth exploring. This theory is different from a widely discredited one pushed by some Republicans in the United States, which claimed that a lab in China manufactured the virus for use as a bioweapon. The WHO, by design, is beholden to its member countries and has long struck a diplomatic tone in dealing with the Chinese government, which is notoriously resistant to outside scrutiny. The inquiry is still in its earliest stages — it could take years — and WHO officials have promised a rigorous and transparent examination of data and research by China and other countries. Still, the findings announced Tuesday gave Beijing a public relations win as it comes under attack from officials in the United States and elsewhere for its initial efforts to conceal the outbreak. “This is the most authoritative support that China has received in terms of its official narrative,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Huang said the WHO should continue to press China for data and access. “One visit is not enough time to do a thorough investigation,” he said. “They’re doing all the work within the parameters set by the Chinese government.” The team did not report major breakthroughs but said it had found important clues. The virus was circulating in Wuhan several weeks before it appeared at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the earliest clusters were initially reported, the experts said. It most likely emerged in bats and spread to humans through another small mammal, though the experts said they have not been able to identify the species. “All the work that has been done on the virus and trying to identify its origin continue to point toward a natural reservoir,” Peter K. Ben Embarek, a food safety scientist with the WHO who is leading the team of experts, said at the news conference. Ben Embarek said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus might have emerged from a laboratory studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan. The team last week met with leaders of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which houses a state-of-the-art laboratory, and Ben Embarek said that “it was very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place,” citing safety protocols there. The WHO experts tried to focus their remarks Tuesday on the scientific aspects of the mission. But the inquiry has often been overshadowed by politics. Some officials in the United States and other Western countries have cast doubt on the independence of the WHO investigation, arguing that China is seeking to control the outcome. The government repeatedly delayed the visit by WHO experts and sought to limit the scope of their mission. And authorities are firmly in control of research related to the virus in China, raising concerns that they might seek to prevent the release of embarrassing information. The Chinese government has tried to shift the focus elsewhere, continuing to suggest that the virus may have originated overseas. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, recently suggested that the United States should allow the WHO to send investigators there as part of its inquiry. Chinese officials heavily promoted the idea that the virus came from abroad at the news conference Tuesday, arguing that the search for the origin of the virus should focus on places outside China. The investigation will “not be restricted to any location,” said Liang Wannian, who led the team of Chinese scientists assisting in the WHO mission. He said that Chinese researchers had found no evidence that the virus was circulating in China on a wide scale before December 2019. In Washington, Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said at a regular news conference that the United States would wait to see the WHO’s report before drawing conclusions about its findings and how transparent Beijing had been with the investigators. During their visit to Wuhan, the WHO team members said they were trying to steer clear of politics and promised to ask tough questions. While in Wuhan, where they submitted to two weeks of quarantine before beginning field work, they granted interviews to the news media and were photographed getting tested for the coronavirus. They turned to social media to bring more transparency to the visit, posting photos and comments about their talks with Chinese scientists. The experts repeatedly praised their Chinese counterparts, saying the government had worked in good faith to grant access to important sites, including laboratories and markets. At the news conference Tuesday, the experts were cordial and did not challenge statements by their Chinese hosts. The team will face pressure in coming months to not only resolve tricky scientific questions but to demonstrate that they are carrying out a fair-minded and tough investigation. “China’s strategic narrative now is, ‘This has been the China part of the investigation, and we’ve done it, and let’s move on,”’ said Daniel R. Lucey, an infectious-disease specialist at Georgetown University. Lucey said the experts would need to produce a breakthrough in order to demonstrate credibility. “If the team doesn’t come up with something of substance,” he added, “there’s also the risk of people saying this was all just a show.”

China scores a public relations win after WHO mission to Wuhan

The WHO team has wrapped up its mission in Wuhan without any breakthrough. China is now writing the future of this probe, by calling on the WHO to send investigators across the world to hunt for the origins of the Wuhan virus.

Gravitas: Wuhan Virus Origins: WHO mission finds no answers in China

13 months on, the origins of Wuhan Virus remains a mystery. China has blamed 7 countries as the source, punished those who demanded a probe & turned the WHO probe into a charade

Gravitas: China turns W.H.O probe into a charade

The WHO team is leaving Wuhan with more questions than answers. Critics of this investigation say China didn't provide meaningful access to the investigators and influenced every move. WION's Palki tells you how China 'stage-managed' the probe in Wuhan.

Gravitas: WHO Probe into Wuhan virus origins | How China dictated the terms

A member of the special WHO mission to China said on Wednesday that US intelligence on the origin of the coronavirus was not reliable.

U.S. to conduct independent review of W.H.O data from Wuhan

A team of experts appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) completed its 28-day mission to the Chinese city of Wuhan this week seeking clues about the origins of COVID-19.

The following looks at their findings.

What are the main scenarios?

Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO's leading animal disease expert, said the team conducted scientific investigations into four main scenarios about how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread into humans.

In the first, a single person was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 through direct contact with the host species, the horseshoe bat. The virus could have been circulating in humans for a while before making its breakthrough in heavily populated Wuhan.

The second scenario, seen as the most likely, involves transmission to humans via an as yet unknown intermediary species. Liang Wannian, an expert with China's National Health Commission, said pangolins were potential candidates but other animals - including mink and even cats - may also be reservoirs.

A third possibility is that COVID-19 originated under the first or second scenarios and was then transmitted via cold chain products. Chinese experts have attributed later COVID-19 clusters to imported frozen food and have raised the possibility it might also have caused the Wuhan outbreak.

The final scenario is that SARS-CoV-2 was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is known to have studied captive coronaviruses. Ben Embarek ruled out the possibility and said it would not be subject to further research. Accidents happen, he said, but it was "very unlikely" in this case.

When did the outbreak begin?

The experts said that while it was unlikely there were large-scale outbreaks in Wuhan or elsewhere in China before December 2019, they do not rule out that it was circulating in other regions.

A crossover either directly from bats or from an intermediary species would suggest the transmission to Wuhan could have been facilitated by wildlife trading networks.

Marion Koopmans, another member of the expert team, said wildlife on sale in the Huanan seafood market could be traced to regions that contain bat habitats known to harbour viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2.

One such region is the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, but the team is also considering that the first human transmission took place across the border in Laos or Vietnam.

What role was played by Huanan market?

Although the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was linked to the first case clusters, the initial crossover from animals to humans did not occur there.

Liang said that there was still insufficient evidence to determine how the virus entered Huanan, but that it was clear it was circulating elsewhere in Wuhan at the same time.

The most likely scenario is that someone carried SARS-CoV-2 into the market, but Ben Embarek also suggested it could have been introduced via a "product", including frozen wild animals known to be susceptible to the virus.

Do the findings change the politics around COVID's origins?

China has expressed concern that any investigation would be "politicised", and said it would only cooperate if it was clear it would not be expected to take blame for the pandemic.

By ruling out the lab leak and accepting that COVID-19 could have originated outside of China, the WHO team has not crossed any of Beijing's lines. China would also be heartened that the WHO team is considering the cold-chain theory. But the findings are unlikely to satisfy those who believe China is culpable and has covered up evidence.

What further research is required?

Ben Embarek said China needs now to find evidence that might prove the coronavirus was circulating much earlier than December 2019. He said blood bank samples would be a good place to start.

Bat communities near Wuhan have been ruled out as a source, and more needs to be done to scour caves in other regions to see if a closer match to SARS-CoV-2 can be found.

The animals on sale at the Huanan market also need to be scrutinised further, and the role played by cold chain products in general also needs more research, Ben Embarek said.

A team of experts appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) completed its 28-day mission to the Chinese city of Wuhan this week seeking clues about the origins of COVID-19.

A team of experts appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) completed its 28-day mission to the Chinese city of Wuhan this week seeking clues about the origins of COVID-19. The following looks at their findings. What are the main scenarios? Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO's leading animal disease expert, said the team conducted scientific investigations into four main scenarios about how SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spread into humans. In the first, a single person was exposed to SARS-CoV-2 through direct contact with the host species, the horseshoe bat. The virus could have been circulating in humans for a while before making its breakthrough in heavily populated Wuhan. The second scenario, seen as the most likely, involves transmission to humans via an as yet unknown intermediary species. Liang Wannian, an expert with China's National Health Commission, said pangolins were potential candidates but other animals - including mink and even cats - may also be reservoirs. A third possibility is that COVID-19 originated under the first or second scenarios and was then transmitted via cold chain products. Chinese experts have attributed later COVID-19 clusters to imported frozen food and have raised the possibility it might also have caused the Wuhan outbreak. The final scenario is that SARS-CoV-2 was leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which is known to have studied captive coronaviruses. Ben Embarek ruled out the possibility and said it would not be subject to further research. Accidents happen, he said, but it was "very unlikely" in this case. When did the outbreak begin? The experts said that while it was unlikely there were large-scale outbreaks in Wuhan or elsewhere in China before December 2019, they do not rule out that it was circulating in other regions. A crossover either directly from bats or from an intermediary species would suggest the transmission to Wuhan could have been facilitated by wildlife trading networks. Marion Koopmans, another member of the expert team, said wildlife on sale in the Huanan seafood market could be traced to regions that contain bat habitats known to harbour viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2. One such region is the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, but the team is also considering that the first human transmission took place across the border in Laos or Vietnam. What role was played by Huanan market? Although the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was linked to the first case clusters, the initial crossover from animals to humans did not occur there. Liang said that there was still insufficient evidence to determine how the virus entered Huanan, but that it was clear it was circulating elsewhere in Wuhan at the same time. The most likely scenario is that someone carried SARS-CoV-2 into the market, but Ben Embarek also suggested it could have been introduced via a "product", including frozen wild animals known to be susceptible to the virus. Do the findings change the politics around COVID's origins? China has expressed concern that any investigation would be "politicised", and said it would only cooperate if it was clear it would not be expected to take blame for the pandemic. By ruling out the lab leak and accepting that COVID-19 could have originated outside of China, the WHO team has not crossed any of Beijing's lines. China would also be heartened that the WHO team is considering the cold-chain theory. But the findings are unlikely to satisfy those who believe China is culpable and has covered up evidence. What further research is required? Ben Embarek said China needs now to find evidence that might prove the coronavirus was circulating much earlier than December 2019. He said blood bank samples would be a good place to start. Bat communities near Wuhan have been ruled out as a source, and more needs to be done to scour caves in other regions to see if a closer match to SARS-CoV-2 can be found. The animals on sale at the Huanan market also need to be scrutinised further, and the role played by cold chain products in general also needs more research, Ben Embarek said.

These are WHO's theories about the origins of COVID-19 after Wuhan probe

A member of the special WHO mission to China said on Wednesday that US intelligence on the origin of the coronavirus was not reliable. His comments came after Washington cast doubts on the transparency of the probe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) mission ended on Tuesday without finding the source of the virus. Members of the team sent by the WHO had to do a balancing act as they walked a diplomatic tightrope.

Chinese authorities closely followed the WHO team as it visited places within China, including the Wuhan market which is considered to be the origin of the pandemic. Very little information was forthcoming and bits trickled out via personal Twitter accounts during the mission. More details emerged as the team members prepared to leave China.

Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team, waded directly into the murky geopolitics which covers the pandemic origin story.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden "has to look tough on China", he said in a tweet adding: "Please don't rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump &amp; frankly wrong on many aspects."

Daszak also tweeted that they worked "flat out under the most politically charged environment possible".

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Well now this👇. <a href="https://twitter.com/JoeBiden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoeBiden</a> has to look tough on China. Please don’t rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump &amp; frankly wrong on many aspects. Happy to help WH w/ their quest to verify, but don’t forget it’s “TRUST” then “VERIFY”! <a href="https://t.co/ukaNAkDfEG">https://t.co/ukaNAkDfEG</a>
— Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterDaszak/status/1359357862254841856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

His comments were linked to an article referencing US state department comments which cast doubt over the transparency of China's co-operation with the WHO mission.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the White House "clearly support this investigation", but shared criticism that China concealed information. 
Asked if China had fully cooperated with the WHO team, Price told reporters: "I think the jury's still out."

Virus sources

Daszak heads US-based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, which monitors epidemic outbreaks and has partnered for more than a decade with the Wuhan Institute of Virology on joint research of coronaviruses.

He has been one of the most vocal proponents of a natural origin and in comments to AFP last year dismissed the possibility of a leak from the Wuhan lab as a politically motivated "conspiracy theory" pushed by Trump.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-birth-rate-falls-in-2020-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-362624">China's birth rate falls in 2020 amid coronavirus pandemic</a>

Last year, the Trump administration abruptly terminated a US government grant supporting the group’s joint research with the Wuhan facility, a move the scientific community criticized as political.&nbsp;

Despite failing to find the virus origins a year after the pandemic began, the team of foreign experts in China did agree it likely jumped from bats to an unknown animal species before transmitting to humans.

They also concluded the theory of lab experiment gone wrong was "extremely unlikely", while introducing new avenues of inquiry -- chiming with China's view that it may have originated overseas or have been spread by frozen foods.

(With AFP inputs)

A member of the special WHO mission to China said on Wednesday that US intelligence on the origin of the coronavirus was not reliable. His comments came after Washington cast doubts on the transparency of the probe.

A member of the special WHO mission to China said on Wednesday that US intelligence on the origin of the coronavirus was not reliable. His comments came after Washington cast doubts on the transparency of the probe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) mission ended on Tuesday without finding the source of the virus. Members of the team sent by the WHO had to do a balancing act as they walked a diplomatic tightrope. Chinese authorities closely followed the WHO team as it visited places within China, including the Wuhan market which is considered to be the origin of the pandemic. Very little information was forthcoming and bits trickled out via personal Twitter accounts during the mission. More details emerged as the team members prepared to leave China. Peter Daszak, a member of the WHO team, waded directly into the murky geopolitics which covers the pandemic origin story. President Joe Biden "has to look tough on China", he said in a tweet adding: "Please don't rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump & frankly wrong on many aspects." Daszak also tweeted that they worked "flat out under the most politically charged environment possible". Well now this👇. @JoeBiden has to look tough on China. Please don’t rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump & frankly wrong on many aspects. Happy to help WH w/ their quest to verify, but don’t forget it’s “TRUST” then “VERIFY”! https://t.co/ukaNAkDfEG — Peter Daszak (@PeterDaszak) February 10, 2021 × His comments were linked to an article referencing US state department comments which cast doubt over the transparency of China's co-operation with the WHO mission. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the White House "clearly support this investigation", but shared criticism that China concealed information. Asked if China had fully cooperated with the WHO team, Price told reporters: "I think the jury's still out." Virus sources Daszak heads US-based non-profit EcoHealth Alliance, which monitors epidemic outbreaks and has partnered for more than a decade with the Wuhan Institute of Virology on joint research of coronaviruses. He has been one of the most vocal proponents of a natural origin and in comments to AFP last year dismissed the possibility of a leak from the Wuhan lab as a politically motivated "conspiracy theory" pushed by Trump. Also Read | China's birth rate falls in 2020 amid coronavirus pandemic Last year, the Trump administration abruptly terminated a US government grant supporting the group’s joint research with the Wuhan facility, a move the scientific community criticized as political. Despite failing to find the virus origins a year after the pandemic began, the team of foreign experts in China did agree it likely jumped from bats to an unknown animal species before transmitting to humans. They also concluded the theory of lab experiment gone wrong was "extremely unlikely", while introducing new avenues of inquiry -- chiming with China's view that it may have originated overseas or have been spread by frozen foods. (With AFP inputs)

'Don't rely too much' on COVID intel from US, says WHO team member

The WHO was supposed to give out information on the COVID-19 origin but instead it has left some gaping holes in the investigation. The briefing has led to more questions than answers. WHO said that the theory of making COVID-19 in the laboratory is highly unlikely.

WHO briefing on COVID-19 origin: Laboratory related hypothesis is highly unlikely

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> jumped from animals to humans, it wasn't artificially engineered and the pandemic probably began in December 2019. While we have known this for months, it is a pathbreaking finding of a month-long investigation for the WHO team in Wuhan.

They spent almost a whole month in Wuhan and yet they found no answers. The probe on the origin of the virus has failed to establish the origin.

Apparently, it's work in progress, but it's already too late to find clues or data, and the reason is mainly that China is leading the investigation and controlling the probe into China's role in the pandemic, which has resulted in no answers.

Beijing has been dictating the terms of this investigation. Chinese scientists have led the critical parts of the probe and now China has got the WHO to say what favours the Asian country.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-patients-on-ventilators-show-severe-symptoms-of-ptsd-study-362493" hreflang="en">Coronavirus patients on ventilators show severe symptoms of PTSD: Study</a>

The WHO team has wrapped up its investigation and are leaving Wuhan tomorrow empty-handed. After keeping the international media at a distance for weeks, the WHO team was finally supposed to speak to the press and reveal what they found. however, even here, China was calling the shots.

According to one reporter's account in Wuhan, there were total chaos 12 hours before the scheduled press conference. First, the WHo sent out emails to journalists inviting them for the press conference. Then, Chinese foreign ministry officials intervened and said no press conference has been planned. After that, the local government in Wuhan called the journalists for a press conference of their own and said it will happen at a different time to the original WHO press conference and won't be streamed online.

Finally, the WHO and Chinese officials decided to hold a joint press conference and appeared together before the press. However, it was the Chinese officials that got the bulk of the speaking time. The scientist leading the Chinese team presented the findings instead of a member of the WHO team.

The Chinese scientist told the press two key findings: the source of the virus remains unclear and there is not enough evidence to determine if the virus was spreading in Wuhan before December 2019.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-animal-source-not-yet-identified-says-who-mission-in-wuhan-362409" hreflang="en">Coronavirus animal source not yet identified, says WHO mission in Wuhan</a>

The source and the spread are two key questions that could determine how the pandemic began and spread worldwide. However, the WHO team says there isn't enough evidence to answer these questions. Perhaps the only thing they are sure about is the lab theory. Whether the virus was engineered in a lab and unleashed on the world or if it accidentally leaked from a facility where scientists could have been conducting tests on samples.

The WHO Team rules out this theory and they won't be looking into it in the future.

"However, the finding suggests that the laboratory incident hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus into the human population and therefore is not in the hypotheses that we will suggest, that implies to suggest future studies into our work -- to support our future work into the understanding of the origin of the virus," Peter Ben Embarek, WHO foreign team leader in joint China-WHO mission said.

The scientific community has largely discredited these claims and the WHO Investigator didn't say anything new.

Important conclusions

First, the virus is natural in origin. Second, it jumped from animal to humans or it could have spread from frozen wildlife foods. These are the two theories on the origins that the investigators now want to look into. The theory that the virus spreads from frozen foods is very important because China has been aggressively pushing this claim even when the scientists remain unconvinced.

The WHO is caught in an escalating dispute over whether the coronavirus is spreading on frozen-food packaging, as China steps up efforts to promote the theory and the US, European Union and others lobby against extra checks on their goods.

Until now, the WHO has been caught in a battle between China and the West. Until last month, Beijing wanted the WHO to accept the virus spreads from frozen food packaging. It had even shared the draft of a new advisory with the Wall Street Journal but withdrew it later because apparently the draft wasn't cleared and sharing it was a mistake. The WHO officials say the draft wasn’t cleared for publication and was sent in error.

The US, EU and several other governments have disputed China's claims, but Beijing keeps pushing for it.

By blaming frozen foods, China could argue the pandemic never really began in Wuhan. It can also claim it may have been imported from elsewhere. In fact, they are already doing it by calling on the WHO to investigate the origins of the virus in other countries.

While the WHO probe was underway, Chinese diplomats have pushed conspiracy theories by blaming America for the pandemic. It began with a statement from Beijing. When a Chinese diplomat was asked about the Wuhan lab, she responded by asking America to open up its fort Detrick military lab to WHO investigators. Since that statement, Chinese diplomats have only pushed this claim more aggressively.

China's ambassador to the US gave an interview recently where he was asked if China has been transparent. He responded with more questions and asked if America will give access to WHO investigators. He even suggested that the WHO team should visit the US next. The Chinese diplomat says the virus should now be traced all over the world.

Now, this conspiracy theory has taken a life of its own with the Chinese state and the press calling on the WHO to dispatch experts to the rest of the world even when the WHO team believes that the virus could have spread from vendors selling products from farms — a reference to the wet markets of China.

China decided the terms for this WHO investigation and is now writing its future course in an effort to shift the world's attention away from what happened in Wuhan.

The coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, it wasn't artificially engineered and the pandemic probably began in December 2019. While we have known this for months, it is a pathbreaking finding of a month-long investigation for the WHO team in Wuhan.

The coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, it wasn't artificially engineered and the pandemic probably began in December 2019. While we have known this for months, it is a pathbreaking finding of a month-long investigation for the WHO team in Wuhan. They spent almost a whole month in Wuhan and yet they found no answers. The probe on the origin of the virus has failed to establish the origin. Apparently, it's work in progress, but it's already too late to find clues or data, and the reason is mainly that China is leading the investigation and controlling the probe into China's role in the pandemic, which has resulted in no answers. Beijing has been dictating the terms of this investigation. Chinese scientists have led the critical parts of the probe and now China has got the WHO to say what favours the Asian country. Also read| Coronavirus patients on ventilators show severe symptoms of PTSD: Study The WHO team has wrapped up its investigation and are leaving Wuhan tomorrow empty-handed. After keeping the international media at a distance for weeks, the WHO team was finally supposed to speak to the press and reveal what they found. however, even here, China was calling the shots. According to one reporter's account in Wuhan, there were total chaos 12 hours before the scheduled press conference. First, the WHo sent out emails to journalists inviting them for the press conference. Then, Chinese foreign ministry officials intervened and said no press conference has been planned. After that, the local government in Wuhan called the journalists for a press conference of their own and said it will happen at a different time to the original WHO press conference and won't be streamed online. Finally, the WHO and Chinese officials decided to hold a joint press conference and appeared together before the press. However, it was the Chinese officials that got the bulk of the speaking time. The scientist leading the Chinese team presented the findings instead of a member of the WHO team. The Chinese scientist told the press two key findings: the source of the virus remains unclear and there is not enough evidence to determine if the virus was spreading in Wuhan before December 2019. Also read| Coronavirus animal source not yet identified, says WHO mission in Wuhan The source and the spread are two key questions that could determine how the pandemic began and spread worldwide. However, the WHO team says there isn't enough evidence to answer these questions. Perhaps the only thing they are sure about is the lab theory. Whether the virus was engineered in a lab and unleashed on the world or if it accidentally leaked from a facility where scientists could have been conducting tests on samples. The WHO Team rules out this theory and they won't be looking into it in the future. "However, the finding suggests that the laboratory incident hypothesis is extremely unlikely to explain the introduction of the virus into the human population and therefore is not in the hypotheses that we will suggest, that implies to suggest future studies into our work -- to support our future work into the understanding of the origin of the virus," Peter Ben Embarek, WHO foreign team leader in joint China-WHO mission said. The scientific community has largely discredited these claims and the WHO Investigator didn't say anything new. Important conclusions First, the virus is natural in origin. Second, it jumped from animal to humans or it could have spread from frozen wildlife foods. These are the two theories on the origins that the investigators now want to look into. The theory that the virus spreads from frozen foods is very important because China has been aggressively pushing this claim even when the scientists remain unconvinced. The WHO is caught in an escalating dispute over whether the coronavirus is spreading on frozen-food packaging, as China steps up efforts to promote the theory and the US, European Union and others lobby against extra checks on their goods. Until now, the WHO has been caught in a battle between China and the West. Until last month, Beijing wanted the WHO to accept the virus spreads from frozen food packaging. It had even shared the draft of a new advisory with the Wall Street Journal but withdrew it later because apparently the draft wasn't cleared and sharing it was a mistake. The WHO officials say the draft wasn’t cleared for publication and was sent in error. The US, EU and several other governments have disputed China's claims, but Beijing keeps pushing for it. By blaming frozen foods, China could argue the pandemic never really began in Wuhan. It can also claim it may have been imported from elsewhere. In fact, they are already doing it by calling on the WHO to investigate the origins of the virus in other countries. While the WHO probe was underway, Chinese diplomats have pushed conspiracy theories by blaming America for the pandemic. It began with a statement from Beijing. When a Chinese diplomat was asked about the Wuhan lab, she responded by asking America to open up its fort Detrick military lab to WHO investigators. Since that statement, Chinese diplomats have only pushed this claim more aggressively. China's ambassador to the US gave an interview recently where he was asked if China has been transparent. He responded with more questions and asked if America will give access to WHO investigators. He even suggested that the WHO team should visit the US next. The Chinese diplomat says the virus should now be traced all over the world. Now, this conspiracy theory has taken a life of its own with the Chinese state and the press calling on the WHO to dispatch experts to the rest of the world even when the WHO team believes that the virus could have spread from vendors selling products from farms — a reference to the wet markets of China. China decided the terms for this WHO investigation and is now writing its future course in an effort to shift the world's attention away from what happened in Wuhan.

After a month of investigation, WHO mission returns empty-handed from Wuhan

The joint press conference held by the WHO mission in Wuhan has left the world with more questions than answers and serious holes in its reports.&nbsp;

In the press conference, there was no mention of the whistle-blowers who warned about the outbreak in China first and neither did the investigators meet the families of the victims who have been trying to sue the Chinese officials for their cover-up.

Since the idea was first floated, the probe into the origins of the coronavirus has faced a crisis of credibility, for more reasons than one. More than 100 countries cleared this investigation last year in May but China is the one that controlled it.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-a-month-of-investigation-who-mission-returns-empty-handed-from-wuhan-362507" hreflang="en">After a month of investigation, WHO mission returns empty-handed from Wuhan</a>

For months, the WHO was negotiating the terms of access to China. It allowed Chinese scientists to lead the key parts of the inquiry and all that the WHO experts could do was review Chinese studies as they were not allowed to gather facts on the ground themselves.

The negotiations went on until the end of 2020. Then, finally, when the investigators flew to China, Beijing denied them entry, leading to a rebuke from the Director-General of the WHO, Dr Tedros. The experts finally got access in January. Upon their arrival, the team was placed under quarantine for two weeks. They finally got down to work by the end of January.

Once again, China was dictating the terms. The itinerary was allegedly cleared by the Chinese authorities. For a week, the experts were whisked around Wuhan with China's foreign ministry officials, local government staff, security guards and officers in plain clothes shadowing the entire team. Even the international press was kept at a distance.

The team had several stopovers at Wuhan including the first hospitals that treated the patients, the lab of China's centre for disease control and prevention in Wuhan, the Wuhan wet market that China has kept shut since last year and the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology, the place that had allegedly disappeared from the Baidu maps in China.

In the weeks leading up to the visit from the WHO team, amid the serious doubts about the credibility of this probe, one of the investigators tried to reassure the sceptics. China's objectives with the probe were quite clear, it wanted to use the opportunity to shift what the world believes. It wanted the world to stop thinking that Wuhan is the original epicentre of this pandemic.

The WHO team was taken on a tour of propaganda exhibition that celebrates China's recovery from the pandemic — one that makes no mention of how China tried to muzzle critics and whistle-blowers in the early days.

Experts watching the probe unfold from a distance criticised China claiming that meaningful access is being denied to the investigators and this included the new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The joint press conference held by the WHO mission in Wuhan has left the world with more questions than answers and serious holes in its reports. In the press conference, there was no mention of the whistle-blowers who warned about the outbreak in China first and neither did the investigators meet the families of the victims who have been trying to sue the Chinese officials for their cover-up.

The joint press conference held by the WHO mission in Wuhan has left the world with more questions than answers and serious holes in its reports. In the press conference, there was no mention of the whistle-blowers who warned about the outbreak in China first and neither did the investigators meet the families of the victims who have been trying to sue the Chinese officials for their cover-up. Since the idea was first floated, the probe into the origins of the coronavirus has faced a crisis of credibility, for more reasons than one. More than 100 countries cleared this investigation last year in May but China is the one that controlled it. Also read| After a month of investigation, WHO mission returns empty-handed from Wuhan For months, the WHO was negotiating the terms of access to China. It allowed Chinese scientists to lead the key parts of the inquiry and all that the WHO experts could do was review Chinese studies as they were not allowed to gather facts on the ground themselves. The negotiations went on until the end of 2020. Then, finally, when the investigators flew to China, Beijing denied them entry, leading to a rebuke from the Director-General of the WHO, Dr Tedros. The experts finally got access in January. Upon their arrival, the team was placed under quarantine for two weeks. They finally got down to work by the end of January. Once again, China was dictating the terms. The itinerary was allegedly cleared by the Chinese authorities. For a week, the experts were whisked around Wuhan with China's foreign ministry officials, local government staff, security guards and officers in plain clothes shadowing the entire team. Even the international press was kept at a distance. The team had several stopovers at Wuhan including the first hospitals that treated the patients, the lab of China's centre for disease control and prevention in Wuhan, the Wuhan wet market that China has kept shut since last year and the controversial Wuhan Institute of Virology, the place that had allegedly disappeared from the Baidu maps in China. In the weeks leading up to the visit from the WHO team, amid the serious doubts about the credibility of this probe, one of the investigators tried to reassure the sceptics. China's objectives with the probe were quite clear, it wanted to use the opportunity to shift what the world believes. It wanted the world to stop thinking that Wuhan is the original epicentre of this pandemic. The WHO team was taken on a tour of propaganda exhibition that celebrates China's recovery from the pandemic — one that makes no mention of how China tried to muzzle critics and whistle-blowers in the early days. Experts watching the probe unfold from a distance criticised China claiming that meaningful access is being denied to the investigators and this included the new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

WHO mission: A team of experts to investigate China or save it?

“The possibility that the virus leaked from a lab – another hypothesis – was extremely unlikely and did not require further study.”, says W.H.O official

'Direct jump of virus from bats to humans unlikely', says W.H.O team

Speculation emerged early in the pandemic that the virus could have accidentally leaked from the lab in Wuhan, although there was no evidence provided to back up that theory.

'No evidence of spread of virus in Wuhan before Dec 2019', says W.H.O in press briefing

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday warns South Africa to not dismiss the rollout of Astrazeneca vaccine. Yesterday, South Africa's Health Minister put a hold over the use of the vaccine as the new variant of virus proved out inevitable against the vaccine.

W.H.O warns South Africa against dismissing Astrazeneca vaccine

W.H.O team investigating Covid-19 origins in China briefs media

As the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-says-do-not-dismiss-astrazeneca-jab-after-south-africa-suspends-vaccine-campaign-362289">World Health Health Organization</a>(WHO) folded its work in Wuhan over&nbsp;the investigation&nbsp;of the origin of coronavirus, Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel of COVID-19 response of China National Health Commission said that coronavirus animal source has not yet been identified.

"There is no indication of COVID-19 virus in Wuhan before December 2019," Wannian said.

Wannian informed that the WHO secretariat and the government of China had together established a multi-disciplinary team to conduct the tracing of the origins of COVID-19.

Liang Wannian said that China has been cooperating with the UN health body while conducting the joint research. The official said that WHO and China had begun the groundwork to identify the origin of the virus in July last year.

"As most emergent viruses originate from animals, understanding the process needs deep research on emergence from an animal reservoir, infection from animals to humans and the factors contributing to human-to-human infection," Wannian stated.

Wannian added that the international team of WHO experts were given detailed information on the virus with the study of animal habitat being undertaken during the investigation.

"We have also conducted research in 33 health institutions in Wuhan for recognising acute respiratory, influenza-like illness before December 2019."

"We have also reviewed the testing of the blood obtained from the blood bank and also tested antibodies, followed by multidisciplinary health protocols with none corresponding to SARS-COV," Wannian said.

As the World Health Health Organization(WHO) folded its work in Wuhan over the investigation of the origin of coronavirus, Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel of COVID-19 response of China National Health Commission said that coronavirus animal source has not yet been identified.

As the World Health Health Organization(WHO) folded its work in Wuhan over the investigation of the origin of coronavirus, Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel of COVID-19 response of China National Health Commission said that coronavirus animal source has not yet been identified. "There is no indication of COVID-19 virus in Wuhan before December 2019," Wannian said. Wannian informed that the WHO secretariat and the government of China had together established a multi-disciplinary team to conduct the tracing of the origins of COVID-19. Liang Wannian said that China has been cooperating with the UN health body while conducting the joint research. The official said that WHO and China had begun the groundwork to identify the origin of the virus in July last year. "As most emergent viruses originate from animals, understanding the process needs deep research on emergence from an animal reservoir, infection from animals to humans and the factors contributing to human-to-human infection," Wannian stated. Wannian added that the international team of WHO experts were given detailed information on the virus with the study of animal habitat being undertaken during the investigation. "We have also conducted research in 33 health institutions in Wuhan for recognising acute respiratory, influenza-like illness before December 2019." "We have also reviewed the testing of the blood obtained from the blood bank and also tested antibodies, followed by multidisciplinary health protocols with none corresponding to SARS-COV," Wannian said.

Coronavirus animal source not yet identified, says WHO mission in Wuhan

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