Covid-19 origins search stalled, window of opportunity closing fast: WHO experts
“The window of opportunity for conducting this crucial inquiry is closing fast, any delay will render some of the studies biologically impossible.”
FollowThe search for the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed millions and crippled economies has stalled and the time is running out, scientists charged with the task by the UN warned.
An initial report by the team of researchers and international experts sent to Wuhan, China by the World Health Organization in January concluded that it was most likely that the SARS-CoV-2 virus jumped from bats to humans via an intermediate animal.
In a commentary published in the journal Nature, the WHO-recruited experts said the origins investigation is at “a critical juncture” requiring urgent collaboration but has instead come to a standstill. They noted among other things that Chinese officials are still reluctant to share some raw data, citing concerns over patient confidentiality.
“The window of opportunity for conducting this crucial inquiry is closing fast, any delay will render some of the studies biologically impossible.”
This narrative was subject to argument as the initial competing hypothesis of the Wuhan lab leak and mounting evidence piled up, the WHO team concluded the virus probably jumped to humans from animals, and they described the possibility of a laboratory leak as “extremely unlikely.”
Also read: China accuses United States of 'politicisation' over COVID-19 origin report
For example, they said, “Antibodies wane, so collecting further samples and testing people who might have been exposed before December 2019 will yield diminishing returns,” the report stated further.
Tracing the biological trail back to the earliest pockets of the disease, which first surfaced in Wuhan in late 2019, becomes more difficult as evidence disappears or becomes corrupted.
Meanwhile, China accused the United States of 'politicisation' and 'scapegoating' in its efforts to track out the source of the coronavirus.
China said Wednesday that officials should “concentrate on other possible avenues that may help trace the origin” of Covid-19 and suggested studies should be pushed in other countries.
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