Bermuda Post

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

WHO Chief Says All Possible Covid Origins "Need Further Study"

WHO Chief Says All Possible Covid Origins "Need Further Study"

World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had received the report over the weekend, adding that all theories on how the virus entered humans remained on the table.
The WHO's chief said Monday that all hypotheses on the Covid-19 pandemic's origins remained open and needed further study, based on international experts' report on their mission to Wuhan.

World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had received the report over the weekend, adding that all theories on how the virus entered humans remained on the table.

"All hypotheses are open, from what I read from the report," Tedros told a virtual press conference in Geneva, adding that they "will need further study".

A team of international experts visited Wuhan in China in January and February this year, examining and ranking in their subsequent report four possible pathways by which SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes Covid-19 disease -- might have entered humans before spreading around the world.

AFP obtained a copy of the final report ahead of its official publication on Tuesday.

"WHO has received the full mission report over the weekend on the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the team that visited Wuhan earlier this year," Tedros confirmed.

He said a mission briefing would be held between the international experts and the WHO's 194 member states on Tuesday, after which the report would be published on the organisation's website.

"We will read the report and discuss, digest its content and next steps with member states," Tedros said.

"All hypotheses are on the table and warrant complete and further studies, from what I have seen so far.

"I will have more to say following further review and understanding of the report. But for now, all hypotheses will be on the table and will need further study."

Tedros said the international experts would hold a press conference on Tuesday to discuss their findings.

"Listening to them will be very, very important," he said.

The report said the virus jumping from bats to humans via an intermediate animal was the most probable scenario, considering it to be a "likely to very likely" pathway.

A direct jump across the species barrier from bats was considered "possible to likely"; introduction from frozen food products was thought "possible", while a virus laboratory leak was found to be "extremely unlikely", according to the report seen by AFP.

Tedros was speaking at a press conference alongside German's development cooperation minister Gerd Muller.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Bermuda Post
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
'I just lost it' Lowe’s worker fired after 13 years of employment for confronting thieves trying to steal $2K of merchandise
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
×