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The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged China to share raw data on the coronavirus cases that first appeared in its central city, Wuhan, and said on Thursday that it is “critical” to understand the origin of the virus to prevent future occurrences. Epidemic.
Since the first case was discovered in Wuhan at the end of 2019, more than 4.3 million people have died globally.
As part of the mission to trace the origin of the virus, a team of WHO scientists conducted a long-delayed visit to the city in January this year, and issued a report in March, but did not clarify what happened. The conclusion.
Instead, it lists some hypotheses that the jump from animals to humans-possibly bats-is Most likely route Infection, and the possibility of the virus leaking from the laboratory is “extremely unlikely.”
This report, which was completed with Chinese scientists, once again triggered a deeper investigation of the origin of the virus and China’s call for more transparency on its virus data.
Last month, WHO Director-General Tan Desai proposed to conduct the second phase of the investigation, including further research in China and laboratory “audits.”
The laboratory leak theory angered China, and China expressed “surprise” at the WHO’s recommendations and urged investigations Expand to other countries.
The United Nations health agency said in a statement: “WHO reiterates that finding the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not and should not be a practice of shirking responsibility, mutual accusations, or political scoring.” Countries including Italy started from 2019 The sharing of biological specimens began in 1988.
“It is important to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic started and to set an example for determining the origin of all future animal-human spillovers,” it said.
The WHO has been putting increasing pressure on the investigation because some people claimed that the initial investigation was affected by delays and lack of original data.
The agency stated that China and “some other member states” have written to WHO on the proposed second phase and further research on the “laboratory hypothesis”, indicating that the research on its origin has been politicized, or the WHO The action was for political purposes. pressure.
The statement said: “WHO determined that there was insufficient scientific evidence to rule out any hypotheses when reviewing the first phase of the research report.” “Specifically, in order to resolve the’laboratory hypothesis’, it is important to obtain all the data and consider science. Best practices and look at the mechanisms that WHO has established. WHO only focuses on science, providing solutions and building solidarity.”
The agency pointed out that analyzing and improving the laboratory safety and protocols of laboratories around the world, including China, is very important to the world’s collective biosafety and protection.
Wuhan has two highly secure research laboratories. Wuhan Virus Research is known for its research on bats.
Danish scientist Peter Ben EmbarekAt the same time, the WHO team that led to Wuhan said in an interview with the Danish public television channel TV2 that a laboratory worker was infected while collecting samples on site. This is a possible hypothesis of how the virus spread from bats to humans. one. He pointed out that the suspicious bats do not come from the surrounding areas of the city, and the only people who might approach them may be researchers in the Wuhan laboratory.
“Finding the origin of a new type of virus is an extremely difficult scientific task that takes time,” the UN agency said. “WHO is committed to following science, and we call on all governments to put aside their differences and work together to provide all the data and access rights needed so that the next series of studies can begin as soon as possible.”
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