China holds key to understanding COVID-19 origins: WHO chief
What's the story
The World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday said that all hypotheses related to the origins of COVID-19 will remain on the table until China shares data with it. He said nothing can be said conclusively without complete access to the information that China has. The WHO has repeatedly called on China to share data collected from Wuhan in 2020.
Context
Why does this story matter?
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was first detected in China's Wuhan wet market and quickly turned into a pandemic. Since then, many theories have circulated about the virus's origins, including bats and pangolins—an endangered species sold in Chinese markets. Amid the speculations, several United States reports accused China of creating the virus in a lab and leaking it to destabilize the global economy.
Statement
Understanding COVID-19 origin moral and scientific imperative: Ghebreyesus
Urging China to conduct necessary investigations and share the results, Ghebreyesus said, "Even as we become increasingly hopeful about the end of the pandemic, the question of how it began remains unanswered." He said understanding the origins of COVID-19 is a moral and scientific imperative. Ghebreyesus has repeatedly called for transparency on China's part within the international community.