WHO seeks China access for Covid origin probe

The head of the World Health Organization has asked China to provide information on the origin of Covid-19 and allow its experts full access to investigate the source of the coronavirus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the Financial Times he is awaiting the response of Beijing to WHO's letter requesting for "full access" and information.

The WHO wants to determine with certainty the origins of the Covid pandemic.

There are currently two theories about the origin of the Covid-19 virus. One theory says the virus escaped from a laboratory where it is being studied in Wuhan, China.

The second theory says an animal with the coronavirus infected people at a local market in the same Chinese city.

A team of specialists led by the WHO and accompanied by Chinese colleagues had investigated China in early 2021.

In a joint report, they favored the hypothesis that the virus had been transmitted by intermediary animal from a bat to a human, possibly at a market.

Tedros said after that all options remained "on the table."

Tedros has repeatedly said the WHO would not abandon its investigation and has called on Beijing for transparency in sharing data, carrying out investigations and sharing the results.

The WHO lifted the highest alert level that had been in place for the pandemic earlier this year.

Thanks to vaccines, post-infection immunity and better treatment, the virus is now under greater control, although with the arrival of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, new variants are emerging.

WITH AFP