WHO: China’s lack of corona transparency “inexcusable”

The top Covid-19 expert at the WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, criticized in a commentary in the renowned American magazine Science that Chinese scientists had withheld data from virus samples from the metropolis of Wuhan for three years.

“The lack of data disclosure is simply unforgivable,” wrote the epidemiologist, who has been informing the world public about the corona situation since the first infections in Wuhan became known. The WHO only learned about some genetic information from the central Chinese metropolis in mid-March this year, after it was briefly accessible in an international database.

According to Van Kerkhove, the data provide important clues about the importance of a market in Wuhan for the original spread of the virus. However, blood tests of workers at the live animal markets in Wuhan or the farms of origin of the animals are still required.

The WHO expert called for the immediate provision of relevant data on the origin of the virus. The more time passes, the more difficult the investigative work, which is important to prevent future outbreaks, becomes. “Time is running out,” she warned.

In early March, statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray in the United States once again fueled speculation about a laboratory error in China as the cause of the corona virus. Van Kerkhove emphasized that as long as there is not enough information, all hypotheses about the origin of the virus will be maintained. China has not yet provided the results of its lab tests. In addition, the WHO still does not have access to raw data on the first corona cases in China.

Since the start of the pandemic, China has worried that it will be blamed for the global outbreak. The government and state media have since launched a massive disinformation campaign highlighting the possibility that the virus may have come from abroad and not China. Rivalries with the US and debate over the lab thesis have increasingly politicized the question of the origin of the virus. It was not until 2021 that a joint investigation committee with WHO experts could travel to Wuhan. The investigation was not continued.

“The WHO continues to call on China and all countries to immediately exchange all data on the origin of Sars-CoV-2,” writes Van Kerkhove. “The world needs to say goodbye to the blame game.” Instead, she should use all diplomatic and scientific approaches to work together, find solutions and thwart future pandemics. (oee/sda/dpa)