China: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on China to provide greater clearness and share data on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, marking five years since the virus first emerged in Wuhan. In a statement released, the organisation emphasised that understanding the virus’s origins is both a “moral and scientific imperative.”
WHO stated that, “Without transparency, sharing, and co-operation among countries, the world cannot sufficiently prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” While many scientists consider the virus jumped naturally from animals to humans, doubts persist regarding the possibility of a laboratory leak in Wuhan. China has consistently denied the lab leak theory.
In September, a group of researchers figured that the pandemic “beyond reasonable doubt” originated from animals sold at a market in Wuhan, based on their study of samples collected in early 2020. China has not yet responded to the latest WHO statement, continuing its stance of denying the need for further investigation into the lab-leak hypothesis.
The WHO’s statement echoed the pandemic’s progression from a localised outbreak to a global health crisis. The organisation reported that its China Country Office first noticed reports of “viral pneumonia” in Wuhan on December 31, 2019. By January 13, 2020, it had already published the blueprint for the first SARS-CoV-2 laboratory test.
Five years ago on 31 December 2019, WHO’s Country Office in #China picked up a media statement by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission from their website on cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China.
In the weeks, months, and years that unfolded after that, #COVID19 came to… pic.twitter.com/th25ou6vJn
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 30, 2024
Covid-19 came to shape our lives and our world, highlighting the global lockdowns and the race to forge vaccines that eventually helped curb the virus’s spread. The WHO paid homage to those who lost their lives, those suffering from long-term COVID-19, and healthcare workers who made huge sacrifices during the pandemic.
Although COVID-19 was stated as no longer a global health emergency in May 2023, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned against complacency. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated that the world must qualify for future pandemics, which he said “can come at any moment.”
Dr. Ghebreyesus also calculated the true death toll of Covid-19 to be closer to 20 million globally—nearly three times the official figure of seven million. The WHO remains set to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic to build a healthier, more prepared future for global health.
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