Investigators from the World Health Organization (WHO), who are investigating the origin of coronavirus in China, have found signs that the outbreak of infections was much wider in Wuhan in December 2019 than previously thought, and are seeking urgent access to hundreds thousands of blood samples from the city, which China has so far not allowed to examine.
The lead investigator for the WHO mission, Peter Ben Embarek, told CNN in a lengthy interview that the mission had found some signs of wider spread in 2019. The team also had the opportunity to speak with the first patient that Chinese officials confirmed as infected, an office worker in his 40s with no travel history, reported infected on December 8th.
The slow emergence of more detailed data collected in the WHO study in China may add to the concerns expressed by other scientists studying the origin of the disease, who believe it may have spread to China too. time before December.
Ben Embarek told CNN: "The virus was circulating widely in Wuhan in December, which is a new discovery." The specialist said that Chinese officials reported 174 cases of Covid infections in December 2019, but due to the high number of severe cases, it is possible that there were about 1000 infected in Wuhan in December.
Ben Embarek added that the mission - which consisted of 17 WHO scientists and 17 Chinese - had expanded the type of virus genetic material they examined from early coronavirus cases in December. As a result, they were able to collect for the first time 13 different genetic sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from December 2019. The sequences, if examined with more extensive patient data in China during 2019, could provide valuable information on the geography and timing of the outbreak before December.
Ekzistojnë polemika gjithnjë e në rritje rreth hetimit të Organizatës Botërore të Shëndetësisë për origjinën e pandemisë së Covid-19 pasi një nga anëtarët e saj tha se Kina kishte refuzuar të dorëzonte të dhënat kryesore. Dominic Dwyer, një ekspert australian i sëmundjeve infektive i cili ishte pjesë e ekipit, tha se ata kishin kërkuar të dhëna të papërpunuara të pacientëve, por u ishte dhënë vetëm një përmbledhje.
Wuhan është vendi ku u identifikua sëmundja dhe qyteti i parë që u godit keq nga një valë infeksionesh, por Kina ka kërkuar të hedhë dyshime nëse pandemia e ka origjinën në Kinë, duke thënë se një burim mund të jetë ushqimi i ngrirë i importuar.
Days ago, the WHO-led mission in China stated that it was no longer considering whether the virus spread after an incident in a laboratory, but then, the WHO director general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said:
"Some questions have been raised as to whether some of the hypotheses have been refuted. Speaking with some team members, I would like to confirm that all of the hypotheses remain open and require further analysis and study."
