WHO Covid Origins Inquiry Hits Dead End
China’s Data Blockade Leaves Virus Source Unclear
The World Health Organization’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) concluded Friday that Covid-19 likely originated from animal transmission at Wuhan’s Huanan seafood market, but China’s refusal to share data leaves the virus’s source uncertain. “Most scientific data and accessible published scientific evidence currently supports this hypothesis, however [we] are not currently able to conclude when, where and how Sars Cov-2 entered the human population,” said SAGO Chair Dr. Marietjie Venter.
Sixty percent of early cases traced to the market, with no human or animal cases elsewhere before December 2019. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus said, “all hypotheses must remain on the table,” as China withheld viral sequences, market animal records, and lab biosafety details despite requests. A lab leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology remains possible, with some U.S. intelligence in 2023 suggesting it as a plausible origin, though evidence is inconclusive (Source: ODNI, June 2023).
SAGO’s 27-member panel, meeting 52 times over three years, dismissed deliberate virus manipulation, noting “these mutations and recombinations occur in nature.” Beijing’s frozen food transmission claim lacks data. The pandemic killed 20 million and ravaged economies, highlighting the need for transparency to prevent future crises. SAGO urges China to cooperate.
This story originally appeared on The Telegraph.