The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Friday that all hypotheses regarding the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic remain unresolved. This declaration follows a drawn-out four-year investigation that faced significant obstacles due to the withholding of essential data.
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The pandemic has had a staggering toll, with WHO estimates indicating that around 20 million lives were lost. It also wreaked havoc on economies, overwhelmed health systems, and drastically altered everyday life for countless individuals.
The initial cases emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Understanding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19, is considered vital for preventing future pandemics. However, the WHO’s comprehensive inquiry has concluded that without additional data, the origins of Covid and its initial spread will remain uncertain.
Expert Investigation
After considerable delay, a team of WHO experts conducted an investigation in Wuhan in January 2021, collaborating with their Chinese counterparts. Their joint report, released in March 2021, suggested that the most plausible theory was a transmission of the virus from bats to humans via an intermediate animal. Interestingly, they deemed the lab-leak theory to be “extremely unlikely.” However, this investigation faced substantial criticism for its lack of transparency, limited access, and insufficient exploration of the lab-leak possibility.
In response, the WHO initiated a new investigation and established the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) in July 2021. The findings from this group, comprising 27 experts, were made public on Friday. As SAGO chair Marietjie Venter noted during a press conference, “Until further requests for information are met, or more scientific data becomes available, the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it entered the human population will remain inconclusive.” Venter also mentioned that it was “not yet clear” if the Wuhan seafood market was the original site of the virus’s transmission to humans.
Regarding lab leak theories, Venter stated that much of the critical information needed to evaluate this hypothesis was not accessible, making it impossible to investigate or fully exclude this possibility.
‘A Crucial Question’
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized, “Over the past five years, we have learned a lot about Covid-19, but there is one crucial question about the pandemic that we have not yet answered: how it started.” He reiterated that SAGO has advanced the understanding of Covid-19’s origins, but added that much of the necessary data has not been provided.
“Despite our repeated requests, China hasn’t provided hundreds of viral sequences from individuals infected early in the pandemic, nor detailed information on animals sold in Wuhan’s markets, or insights into the work and biosafety practices of laboratories in the area,” he stated. Tedros further remarked, “The WHO is also aware of intelligence reports from various governments regarding the origins of Covid-19 and has requested access to those reports.”
Interestingly, the US administration under former President Donald Trump officially supported the lab leak theory. Tedros highlighted that uncovering the origin of Covid-19 is not just critical for public health; it is a moral responsibility for the lives lost during the pandemic. He cautioned that the virus continues to evolve, claiming lives and leaving many suffering from lingering post-Covid conditions, often referred to as long Covid.
In light of these challenges, Tedros reiterated the WHO’s appeal to China and other countries possessing relevant information about the origins of Covid-19 to share their findings openly. “We must work together,” he stated, “for the sake of protecting the world from future pandemics.”
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring.
