WHO COVID-19 Investigation Team Arrives in Wuhan, China

Investigation Team of Experts from Over 10 Countries to Determine COVID-19 Origin
Proving China's Responsibility May Not Be Easy

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The World Health Organization (WHO) international investigation team tasked with tracing the origin of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) arrived in China on the 14th.

According to Xinhua News Agency and others on the 14th, the WHO COVID-19 origin investigation team arrived in Wuhan, Hubei Province on the same day to conduct joint research with Chinese scientists.

The WHO investigation team, composed of experts from more than 10 countries, entered quarantine for a certain period following China's COVID-19 prevention regulations after arriving in Wuhan. During this period, they plan to discuss via video conference with Chinese experts and then proceed with joint research on serology and antibody studies related to the origin of the COVID-19 virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) international investigation team, set to determine the origin of the novel coronavirus infection, has arrived in Wuhan, China.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Margaret Harris, WHO spokesperson, explained, "This investigation team will conduct an in-depth study of the infection routes of the earliest COVID-19 cases announced by Wuhan and will also investigate various animals associated with the COVID-19 virus."

Spokesperson Harris said, "We should not expect this investigation team to find definitive answers regarding the origin of COVID-19," adding, "Research on major infectious diseases requires sufficient time." She emphasized, "This investigation team aims to propose joint research hypotheses and directions through brainstorming," and stressed, "This visit is scientific work unrelated to politics and should not be linked to it."

Wuhan was the first place where a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak occurred in December 2019, and Western countries including the United States have pointed to Wuhan as the origin of COVID-19, raising the 'China responsibility theory.'

Zheng Yixin, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission of China, expressed willingness to actively cooperate with the WHO investigation team, stating, "China has continuously emphasized the investigation of the origin of the COVID-19 virus, feels a great sense of responsibility, and is conducting research based on scientific spirit."

Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also asserted, "Since the COVID-19 outbreak, China has maintained an open, transparent, and responsible attitude, working closely with WHO in communication and cooperation regarding the tracing of the virus's origin."

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus referred to the investigation team's trip to Wuhan as "an important mission to identify the source of the COVID-19 virus and the pathway of its transmission to humans, and we look forward to close cooperation with the Chinese side."

WHO dispatched investigation teams to China in February and July last year to trace the origin of COVID-19 but did not achieve significant results.

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