WHO not part of Chinese probe into coronavirus origins, transmission

Hindustan Times

Sutirtho Patranobis, hindustan times, Beijing

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is “extremely anxious” to know the origin of the pandemic-triggering novel coronavirus first found in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and is ready to help the ongoing Chinese investigation looking into the roots of the pathogen.

So far, the WHO, which the world’s top UN body for public health, has not been involved in the multi-layered and critical probe – set up to find the virus’ animal origin and the exact sequencing of the animal-to-human interface.

The coronavirus pandemic or the Covid-19 disease has until Sunday morning killed more than 5840 people and sickened over 157000 globally, a vast majority of them in China.

“The WHO would be ready, but currently the investigation is being done by the government, into the origin (of the virus),” Gauden Galea, the organisation’s China representative said, adding “As far as we can see, we have not been involved in it”.

“We are extremely anxious to know where the virus came from”.

“The animal origins may take a very long time to identify. If you look at SARS, it took 10 years to identify the source after it happened; if you look at MERS, we are seven years down the line, and we are not yet sure still. So, this is not a story that is going to end quickly,” Galea said.

“There are several areas where additional research and inquiry is necessary to help the global community respond to this outbreak and prevent an outbreak in the future. WHO has discussed the question of animal-origins of Covid-19 on multiple occasions and is prepared to join China’s efforts to research this issue”.

Bats and pangolins have been said to be the source of the virus but scientists are still researching aspect, and whether an intermediate animal host played a part in the zoonosis.

The initial sequences of the transmission aren’t clear either. For example, it’s not clear if the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was the only source or there were multiple sources in the city, Galea, working at WHO since 1998.

“There’s a big lesson that has been learned. But at this point, we still need that fuller investigation to know was it (the market) really the origin or was it one of the multiple events that had happened in Wuhan over a period? And that can only be done with further investigation,” Galea said.

Galea said it was very important for the investigation to be done to ensure such an outbreak doesn’t recur from the same source – “and before it fades from memory”.

“The epidemiology has to be done and, and chased through to the first case if it’s possible and to the first exposure,” Galea said in an interview with the HT in Beijing over the weekend.

The WHO has been involved with the Chinese government in monitoring and containing the outbreak formally since January 3, preceded by three days of “informal” exchanges from December 31.

By January 3, the WHO had put in place an “incident management team” comprising members from its Beijing office, regional headquarters in Manila and the Geneva headquarters.

“We know for certain that there was a cluster associated with the Huanan seafood market (in Wuhan) in December. And, that was very clear. You can see that from the environmental samples, from the geographical distribution and from the time connections between the cases and so on. It was a very clear cluster,” Galea said.

Not all cases were connected to the market, however. “We do know that even in the first cluster there were cases that were not reportedly associated with the seafood market and those cases need to be investigated”.

“It is our understanding that the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is looking into these cases. It is important to do this and do it fast before memories fade way. It is very important to be able to go back to the origins,” the WHO’s China head said.

“Independent of who identifies, when identifies, the epidemiological investigations (into) the human side, as well as the human-animal interface, need urgent and detailed investigation,” Galea said.

“We do not want whatever source originated it, to do it again unexpectedly.If you don’t have the sources, you are always open to it happening again. On this part, we cannot be more anxious to get the answers,” Galea said.

Galea headed the first WHO team that went to Wuhan on January 20 and January 21. Later, in February, a WHO-China joint team also visited Wuhan and Beijing among other places.

Galea hopes China will continue to share information. “We continue to ask questions,” Galea said, adding until now China has shared “a new package of knowledge” whenever identified by the authorities.

Reference; https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/who-not-part-of-chinese-probe-into-coronavirus-origins-transmission/story-qQhr0ZmRJ1NPdFRIagEmNN.html