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Summary
- China has refused entry to a WHO team investigating the origins of COVID-19.
- WHO’s concerns remain high as several nations struggle with the rising burden of COVID-19 cases.
- With China blocking the investigation team’s entry, other countries are calling for a transparent inquiry into the coronavirus origin.
- The international body expressed its disappointment with the decision but hopes the investigation team will soon get the necessary permission.
A team from the World Health Organization (WHO), scheduled to investigate the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, has been refused entry by China. Of the two associates of the investigation team who had already set out on their visit, one member has now come back, and another is in transit in another country.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his disappointment over Beijing not allowing the investigation team to visit Wuhan to investigate the origin of the deadly coronavirus. The international body is concerned as several nations are still grappling with the rising COVID-19 cases.
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Expressing his displeasure, Mr Ghebreyesus stated-
The novel coronavirus was first discovered in late 2019 in Wuhan (central Hubei province), China. Initially, it was assumed that the virus originated in a wet market selling meat of tropical (exotic) animals.
It was believed that the virus had transferred from animals to humans into the market. However, the origin of the virus remains highly disputed. Some specialists now believe that the virus might not have originated from the market but started spreading there.
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Research has indicated that coronaviruses capable of affecting humans may have been spreading undetected in bats for a long time. However, it is unknown which intermediate animal host is responsible for the transmission of the coronavirus between bats and humans.
China’s narrative
China has rejected the criticism about its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during initial weeks of the outbreak, whether from its citizens or overseas governments.
The country has also requested to reframe the argument concerning where the ongoing pandemic started. The Chinese officials have cited various studies and maintain that the virus emerged in several regions.
On the other hand, the WHO states that despite the ongoing research, there is limited information about when, where, and how the coronavirus might have started circulating in Wuhan. The agency also added that the first case was connected to the Huanan Seafood Market which has been closed now.
The investigators are anticipated to visit the site even though much of the proof was probably missing when the health authorities closed the market. It is still unclear whether the market was the source of the pandemic or it acted as a catalyst for the transmission of virus from human-to-human, or a combination of these issues.
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Nations call for investigation
With China denying the investigation team permission to enter its borders, the US has called for a transparent inquiry into the origins of the virus.
Besides, Australia has also sought an unbiased investigation into the origin of the devastating virus, which has further embittered its ties with China.
