"WHO and CDC Experts Still Unable to Enter China... Is It Due to Chinese Leadership's Concern for Face?"

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attempted to dispatch epidemiologists to China to investigate the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia), but their offer has reportedly been rejected. It is said that the Chinese leadership is hesitating due to concerns about saving face.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 7th (local time) that regarding the novel coronavirus epidemiological investigation, the U.S. CDC was ready to send epidemiologists but had not received an invitation from China. WHO had already offered to dispatch personnel two weeks ago but stated they are still preparing and plan to depart on the 9th or 10th.

NYT cited anonymous current and former health and diplomatic officials, suggesting that China's refusal of help from the CDC and others is presumed to be because the top Chinese leadership is reluctant. The Chinese leadership does not want the world to know that they need external assistance.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Some experts are concerned that the visit of foreign epidemiologists might uncover embarrassing facts for China. For example, they do not want the number of doctors and nurses who lost their lives fighting the novel coronavirus to become public knowledge.

Nonetheless, experts believe China needs external help. In particular, the fields requiring assistance are molecular virology and epidemiology. Molecular virology can reveal the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus and regulate it to improve diagnostic tests, vaccine development, and treatments. Epidemiology is essential to determine who has been infected, why only some people die, how many people have been infected, and why hospital-acquired infections occur.

One expert told the NYT, "These questions are basic and do not require advanced science," adding, "Five weeks have passed, and we still have not found the answers."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some have raised another issue regarding China's initial response. Problems reportedly began with the handling of the Huanan seafood wholesale market, known as the initial outbreak site of the novel coronavirus. Blood and other samples should have been collected from the animals present in the market and the workers there, but this was not done. If such measures had been taken initially, it would have been possible to identify which animals the novel coronavirus originated from and who among the infected survived.

It is even unclear whether the animals at the Huanan seafood wholesale market were buried or incinerated. One expert said, "No one tells us what happened to the animals at the Huanan seafood wholesale market," adding, "I am not even sure if they themselves know."

NYT also expressed concern that Chinese scholars might delay releasing research data for submission to internationally renowned academic journals. They might postpone data disclosure until their papers are published.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.