China at epicentre in stalling investigation on COVID-19 origins exposed, check details

Chinese authorities refused to provide WHO investigators with raw data on confirmed and potential early COVID-19 cases that could help determine how and when the coronavirus first began to spread in China.

Washington: Calls for a fresh investigation into the origins of the novel coronavirus, which has killed millions of people and shattered the global economy, continue to grow with China`s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) at the centre of global scrutiny. A Wall Street Journal (WSJ) investigation had found that China resisted international pressure for a probe that it saw as an attempt to assign blame. China delayed the probe for months, secured veto rights over participants and insisted its scope cover other countries as well. Moreover, the World Health Organization (WHO)-led the team that travelled to China in early 2021 to investigate the origins of the virus struggled to get a clear picture of what research China was conducting beforehand, faced constraints during its visit and had little power to conduct thorough, impartial research without the blessing of China`s government. Furthermore, Chinese authorities refused to provide WHO investigators with raw data on confirmed and potential early COVID-19 cases that could help determine how and when the coronavirus first began to spread in China. Chinese researchers also directed a US government archive to delete gene sequences of early COVID-19 cases, removing an important clue.