Investigation of the origin of the corona going to the mountains… US-China nerve war over the scope of investigation

A field investigation to find the origin of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) began after twists and turns, but China and the United States are struggling over the scope of the investigation.

At a meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the 18th (local time), the United States and China had a nervous war over the ongoing investigation of the origin of Corona 19, Reuters reported. The WHO international search team arrived in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on the 14th, after delayed entry procedures due to Chinese authorities filing a visa issue. Right now, it is in quarantine for two weeks before the site investigation. However, the scope and schedule of the investigation team’s research are still unclear.

On that day, US representative Garrett Gresbi urged the investigation team to give broader access. “We need to share all the data on human and animal and environmental samples collected from the Wuhan market,” he said. “Comparative analysis of genetic data is necessary to find the origins that triggered the pandemic of Corona 19.” “The investigation team should be able to interview caregivers, previously infected patients, and laboratory workers at the time the virus first appeared in late 2019.” The Australian representative also stressed that “the research team should have access to data and information.”

The reason they request a wide range of data related to Wuhan is that the information that can be obtained from the field is limited after a long time. WHO previously sent an investigation team to China in February and July of last year, but due to the pressure of Chinese health authorities, they were unable to go to Wuhan and were trapped in Beijing. Meanwhile, the Wuhan fish market, which is the site, has been sterilized several times, and all those infected with Corona 19 at the time also left the hospital. Without the cooperation of the Chinese authorities, the first field investigation may end without any income.

However, in response to this demand for omnidirectional investigation, China is protesting, saying it is “political pressure.” “The research on the origin of the virus is of a scientific nature,” said Sun Yang, president of the China National Health and Health Commission. “Coordination and cooperation are necessary. We have to stop any political pressure.”

Rather, Chinese quarantine experts say that the investigation should be conducted focusing on the possibility of the corona 19 virus inflow from outside. On the 18th, Yang Jan-chu, a professor at the Wuhan University Virus Research Institute, said, referring to the World Military Sports Festival held in Wuhan in October 2019, “There is speculation that the US military delegation from Wuhan spread the Corona 19 virus to China.” “There is a possibility that it was infected from abroad. If so, an investigation into where they went on a trip would have to follow, he said.

Regarding this situation, WHO emergency response team leader Mike Ryan at a press conference on the 15th said, “There is no guarantee that this investigation will give an answer to the origin of Corona 19. It is difficult to fully clarify the origin of the virus. “It’s only possible if you try two or three times in different environments.”

Meanwhile, according to the AFP news agency, the’Independent Panel for Pandemic (a global pandemic of infectious disease) preparation and response’ (IPPR) published a report on the 18th that the procrastination of the WHO and China’s procrastination increased the initial spread of Corona 19. . IPPR said, “What is clear is that China’s central and local health authorities were able to apply public health measures more strongly in January. It was also late to declare an emergency.”

Reporter Kim Hong-bum [email protected]