WHO team grilled on Wuhan probe on COVID-19 origins

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The independent expert team sent by the World Health Organization (WHO) to study the origins of the novel coronavirus was questioned Friday about its investigation in the Chinese city of Wuhan as it was conducted a full year after the outbreak erupted.

"I think we have been successful. In many ways, we have a lot of new knowledge about the start of the events," said Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, leader of the WHO international team that conducted the investigation in Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated.

"We have a much, much better understanding of what happened in December 2019," said Embarek speaking at a twice-weekly WHO webinar on COVID-19.

"It was not a mission to go and chase an animal in the market or chase a patient somewhere or looking for that type of evidence," he added, noting that it had taken a few months before Wuhan reopened.

"We've been able to link genetic sequences of different patients across the city in December with their physical location in and outside the market across the time, from early December to late December."

"We have also been able to trace back all the suppliers of different wild animal products into the market as a potential clue for further studies."

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said the team comprised of experts from Australia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, the UK, the US and Vietnam.

The team included experts from WHO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.

"We have always said that this mission would not find all the answers, but it has added important information that takes us closer to understanding the origins of the virus," said Tedros, explaining that the study had identified areas for further research.