The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday called for an audit of Chinese laboratories where the first cases of Covid-19 were identified as part of an investigation into the origin of the pandemic.
The head of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, proposed the audit during a meeting with member countries of the organization. He said that in order to advance the investigation it was necessary to carry out "checks of relevant laboratories and active research institutions in the region where the first cases were identified in December 2019".
His request came a day after he said it was premature to rule out a possible link between the pandemic and a "laboratory leak". He also urged China to be more transparent, noting that access to raw data was a challenge for the international team that traveled to China earlier this year to investigate the source of Covid-19.
In addition to Chinese laboratory inspections, the WHO also wants to conduct "integrated studies of humans, wildlife, animals, farms and the environment" and "studies that prioritize geographical areas where SARS-CoV-2 turnover has been previously reported." ”
In addition, the WHO called for "animal market studies in and around Wuhan [where the virus was first reported], including ongoing studies of animals sold in the wholesale market" and "studies in relation to animal tracking activities, more work in epidemiology and molecular epidemiology, including early virus sequences. ”
On Friday, Beijing rejected the WHO chief's criticism of China's lack of co-operation. Earlier, authorities in China described the theory that the virus may have come from a Wuhan lab as "absurd." Theories have even been promoted in China that say the virus was imported from frozen seafood.
The WHO team of experts that traveled to China said in March that most likely, the coronavirus was transmitted from bats to humans through another animal.
Burimet: Associated Press, Euronews
