WHO to release report on COVID-19 origin, says bat the likely source

An international expert mission that was sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to investigate the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has concluded that the virus may have jumped from a bat via an unknown animal to humans.

According to AFP, the scientists hypothesised that the theory fronting the argument that the virus may have originated from a bat was ‘‘likely and very likely’’, as they ruled out the notion of a viral leak from a laboratory as ‘‘highly unlikely’’.

The international mission left Wuhan, China, with an inconclusive end on February 9, amidst diplomatic tussles pitting China and Western countries as blames escalated over the issue.

Another theory that was put to test was the notion that the virus may have moved from bats to humans directly which was ruled as possibility.

Beijing has always clung on the theory that frozen foods shipped to China may have ferried the disease-a notion the researchers did not rule out too.

However, the theory linking the virus to a viral leak—which former US President Donald Trump used to tear into Beijing—was flagged as falsehood.

WHO is set to launch the report on the origin of the coronavirus officially on Tuesday, March 29.

Frustrations

On February 13, an Australian researcher, Dominic Dwyer accused the Chinese government of frustrating the contingent of WHO scientists who had been on the investigation mission.

Dwyer said the Beijing scientists only provided them with a summary instead of raw data when they examined 174 cases who were found with no links to the Wuhan market- a place considered the origin of the disease.

He said, “that’s why we’ve persisted to ask for that…why that doesn’t happen, I couldn’t comment. Whether it’s political or time or it’s difficult. But whether there are any other reasons why the data isn’t available, I don’t know. One would only speculate.”