The World Health Organization released a study on the origins of the coronavirus On March 30. This research is based on recent visits by scientists from the WHO team to Wuhan, China, which is believed to be the place of origin of this virus.
On Tuesday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the study is insufficient to suggest that the virus was released outside of a laboratory and therefore called for further studies to draw more conclusive conclusions.
According to the report, no such evidence was discovered to support the argument that it was released from the laboratory, though the virus is likely to have originated in China’s wet market.
Countries that opposed the “Coronavirus Origin Report”
Total 14 nations opposed the report and responded in a statement that they all support WHO’s efforts to bring this virus under control and save lives but they added it is also important to raise voice and share concerns that the study over the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was delayed and lacked complete access to original data and samples by the Chinese Government.
Those Nations that are opposing the report include the United States, the Czech Republic, Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, and Israel.
Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom also co-signed statements.
China’s response over the issue
In a conference China’s foreign ministry condemned the criticism from the rest of the nations including WHO, saying that China had supported the investigation with its openness, transparency, and responsible attitude.
By politicizing the issue, global collaboration on the origin of the virus will only impact and take more lives, according to China’s foreign ministry.
One of the senior health officials of the Chinese government said that there is no such evidence based on which China can be blamed for releasing the virus from the laboratory.
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