Keen to work with international partners at China's invitation to investigate animal origins of virus: WHO
Spread the Wuhan virus
WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told AFP in an email that the UN body hopes China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the "animal origins of the coronavirus."
The origin of the virus has become a huge controversial issue in recent weeks with several experts, including US President claiming that it was spread due to an accident in a Wuhan laboratory.
The US intelligence services in a statement had said on Thursday that it "concurs with the wide scientific consensus that COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified".
However, US President Trump has claimed that it was spread from a Wuhan laboratory, however, the president hasn't presented any evidence to back his claims. When asked about it, Trump told reporters: "I have seen the evidence. I can't tell you that. I'm not allowed to tell you that."
The US president in fact hinted at imposing tariff on China as a punishment for the coronavirus outbreak.
Australia, Canada, UK and Germany have requested an open and transparent investigation from China, with some asserting that the WHO can help in this regard. The Chinese government, however, hasn't signaled any intention for the probe, dismissing it even as it battles the virus at home.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo had said earlier that the US didn't know "precisely where it began" while stating that "we don’t know if it came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. We don’t know if it emanated from the wet market or yet some other place. We don’t know those answers."
The US intelligence meanwhile said it would continue to rigorously examine emerging information and intelligence to determine" the origin of the outbreak.