Scientists call for new probe into coronavirus origins – with or without China
- In an open letter, 24 researchers from Europe, the US, Australia and Japan say the China-WHO study was tainted by politics
- Jamie Metzl, who drafted the document, says the world might have to ‘revert to Plan B’ and conduct an investigation without Beijing’s involvement
A joint China-World Health Organization (WHO) study into Covid-19 has provided no credible answers about how the pandemic began, and more rigorous investigations are required – with or without Beijing’s involvement, a group of international scientists and researchers said on Wednesday.
The joint study, released last week, said the likeliest transmission route for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, involved bats and other wildlife in China and Southeast Asia. It all but ruled out the possibility it had leaked from a laboratory.
In an open letter, 24 scientists and researchers from Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan said the study was tainted by politics.
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WHO mission leader on ‘political pressure’, difficulty accessing data during Wuhan origin study
“Their starting point was, let’s have as much compromise as is required to get some minimal cooperation from China,” said Jamie Metzl, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, who drafted the letter.
The letter said the study’s conclusions were based on unpublished Chinese research, while critical records and biological samples “remain inaccessible”.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week China had withheld data.
Liang Wannian, China’s senior Covid-19 expert, denied this and appeared to rule out any further joint investigations in China, saying the focus should shift to other countries.