Advertisement
Coronavirus origin: will China heed WHO chief’s call for more access?
- Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more research and better data sharing was needed after release of long-awaited report by Chinese and international scientists
- But further missions may encounter the same issues or require lengthy negotiations with China, observers say
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
7
A World Health Organization-backed probe into the origins of Covid-19 in China has turned up few answers, and the agency’s chief has called for more research and data access. But whether that can happen will remain in Beijing’s court, experts say.
“It is clear that we need more research across a range of areas, which will entail further field visits,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday. “I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing.”
He said mission members had told him there were “difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data” and said a theory that the virus spread after a laboratory leak - which the probe team did not recommend for continued study - “requires further investigation... which I am ready to deploy”.
Advertisement
His comments followed Tuesday’s release of the report by Chinese and international scientists who worked together in the pandemic’s initial epicentre of Wuhan during a 28-day mission earlier this year
01:56
WHO ends Covid-19 mission in Wuhan, says lab leak ‘extremely unlikely’
WHO ends Covid-19 mission in Wuhan, says lab leak ‘extremely unlikely’
The extent to which Tedros’ calls will be met depends on China, where a number of the recommended future studies would need to be conducted, experts say.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Select Speed
1.00x