Covid-19: urges China to share data transparently

In a briefing to reporters on Friday, the UN agency’s chief executive said that during the global pandemic, the world is in a better position now than at any other time.

The global pandemic has now entered its fourth year. It is the first time that the death toll in the past four weeks has been lower than the number recorded since the declaration of the global pandemic.

“I am confident that this year we can say that COVID-19 has ended as a public health emergency of international concern.”

The head of the UN agency said we are becoming optimistic that the global epidemic will end, but the answer to how this disease started has yet to be found.

Last Sunday, the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention made data available in the global virus database, GISAID, based on samples collected from the Huanan market in January 2022.

This seafood market is located in the city of Wuhan, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease COVID-19 first emerged.

Scientists from many countries analyzed this data, but it was later deleted.

It has been reported that such molecular facts have been discovered, that such animals were sold in the market, some of which were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

not sure

Chief Executive Ghebreyesus said his organization had contacted the Chinese center, urging it to share the data with the international scientific community.

World Health Organization China on Tuesday convened a meeting of the Scientific Advisory Group set up to trace the source of the new virus, asking Chinese researchers and international scientists to present their analysis.

Chief Executive Ghebreyesus said there is no definitive answer to the question of when the global outbreak started from this data, but every type of data is important, which can bring us closer to that answer.

He stressed that all data studied to trace the source of Covid-19 must be immediately shared with the international community.

appeal to china

The director general of the UN agency said that this data could have been shared three years ago, and should have been. “We continue to call on China to be transparent in sharing data, to conduct necessary investigations and to share results.”

“Understanding how the global pandemic began is an ethical and scientific imperative.”

The head of the UN health agency for COVID-19, Dr Maria Van Kerchow, said the organization was already aware of environmental samples taken from the seafood market that tested positive.

According to him, the latest results provide in-depth information in this regard. Dr Kerkhove said the health organization had repeatedly requested studies of other markets in Wuhan and other parts of China to trace animals back to their farms of origin.

In addition, samples of people working in these markets and farms could also be collected.

ongoing research

Meanwhile, the United Nations health agency, together with international partners, continues its efforts to trace the origin of the global pandemic.

Dr Kerkhove stressed the importance of sharing data on this topic, so that international experts can openly and transparently discuss the analysis as well as the results.

He said several possibilities currently need to be investigated, such as how the virus entered the human population: either from bats, via a secondary source, or via a biosecurity breach, a leak of a laboratory.

According to Dr. Kirkhow, at present, there is no definitive answer to the question of the start of the global pandemic.