GENEVA/ZURICH – Data was withheld from World Health Organisation investigators who travelled to China to research the origins of the coronavirus epidemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday (March 30).
The United States, the European Union and other Western countries immediately called for China to give “full access” to independent experts to all data about the original outbreak in late 2019.
In its final report, written jointly with Chinese scientists, a WHO-led team that spent four weeks in and around Wuhan in January and February said the virus had probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal, and that a lab leak was “extremely unlikely” as a cause.
One of the team’s investigators has already said China refused to give raw data on early Covid-19 cases to the WHO-led team, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the global pandemic began.
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“In my discussions with the team, they expressed the difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data,” Tedros said. “I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing.”
The inability of the WHO mission to conclude yet where or how the virus began spreading in people means that tensions will continue over how the pandemic started – and whether China has helped efforts to find out or, as the United States has alleged, hindered them.
“The international expert study on the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples,” Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Korea, Slovenia, Britain, the United States and the European Union said in a joint statement.
“Not extensive enough”
WHO Says Wuhan Lab Leak Still a Long Shot, But They’re Not Settling Down Yet
In short: The team that dived deep into COVID‑19 origins still thinks the Wuhan lab leak story is the least likely scenario. But they’re not putting the matter to rest—more investigations might be on the way, possibly heading straight to China.
What Tedros, the WHO Big Boss, Has to Say
- “I don’t believe we dug enough deep,” Tedros told the world’s health heads.
- “We’ll need more data and studies before we can say anything for sure.”
Peter Ben Embarek: The Lead Investigator, Not Flinching
During a press briefing, the guy at the wheel—Peter Ben Embarek—warned that the virus might have been spoofing around Wuhan as early as October or November 2019. That means it could have been hitching rides overseas before we even noticed.
He noted:
- They got a ton of data, but some hurdles kept them from the raw stuff.
- Privacy laws and other red tape played the starring role.
- He stresses the need for “second‑phase studies.”
Peter also sprinkled in a confession about feeling political pressure—yet he insisted nobody ever nudged him to cut anything from the report.
Australia’s Eye‑Opening Observations
Dominic Dwyer, a veteran Aussie on the mission, shook his head and said, “We see no obvious evidence that the Wuhan Institute played a role.” A pretty calm assessment.
EU: “Great First Step, But We Need Speed”
The European Union’s spokesperson, Walter Stevens, denounced the study for starting too late. He also pointed out.
- Doing a “late field day” in China.
- Missing early samples.
- Data access is still a stub.
In a statement, Stevens passionately called for “timely access to relevant locations and to all relevant human, animal and environmental data available.”
Bottom Line
While the lab leak theory is still the coldest possibility in the mix, WHO wouldn’t sell the conclusion to a Broadway audience. The world’s health watchdog is lining up more data, extra studies, and maybe another trip to China. It’s a story that keeps evolving, like a soap opera with a medical twist. Stay tuned!
