WHO-China Team Suggests Continuing To Search Early COVID-19 Cases Around The Globe
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published March 17, 2021 | 04:05 PM
The World Health Organization (WHO) and China joint team has suggested continuing to look for possible early cases in a wider range around the globe
ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Mar, 2021 ) The World Health Organization (WHO) and China joint team has suggested continuing to look for possible early cases in a wider range around the globe.
Liang Wannian, a member of the WHO-China joint team, made the remarks at a briefing to European diplomats on the origin of the novel coronavirus on Friday.
Chinese experts and the WHO experts worked together in Wuhan from Jan. 14. to Feb. 10 this year.
They visited nine places, including Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Huanan seafood market, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology under the Chinese academy of Sciences. The team also visited and talked with local medical workers, lab researchers, scientists, market managers, community workers, recovered patients, and families of medical workers losing their lives in the epidemic, he added.
The joint study has achieved positive outcomes and reached some findings and conclusions, thanks to efforts from the two sides, Liang said.
Firstly, a coronavirus with high similarity to the novel coronavirus in gene sequences occurs in bats and pangolins. But the similarity is still not enough to make it a direct ancestor of the novel coronavirus. Other species all could be potential natural hosts.
Secondly, the first case in Wuhan got sick on Dec. 8, 2019.
The Huanan seafood market could be an outbreak site and amplifier of the COVID-19 epidemic.
Thirdly, the virus was found in environmental tests at the Huanan seafood market after its closure, especially in its aquatic product stalls. The coronavirus at the market might have been introduced through channels such as infected people, contaminated cold chain products, and animal products, but it is still uncertain.
The COVID-19 virus is "the most likely" to be introduced through an intermediary host species, "likely" to be introduced through direct transmission or cold-chain food, and "extremely unlikely" to be introduced through a laboratory incident, according to the joint study.
In terms of future study, Liang said that the joint study proposed four suggestions, and the first one is to expand globally unified database, including molecule, gene sequence, clinic, epidemiology, animal monitoring and environmental monitoring data.
The second suggestion is to continue to look for more possible early cases in a wider range around the globe.
The third one is that scientists around the world should search animal species that may become virus hosts in many countries and places, not limited to bats, and the last one is to further understand the role of cold chain and frozen food in virus transmission.
Recent Stories
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
Pakistan, Japan agrees to convene 'Economic Policy Dialogue'
FM Dar conveys deepest sympathy on torrential rains devastation in UAE
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 1st update
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
Osaka seals first win on clay since 2022 in Madrid
Earthquake jolts Karachi
Sindh minister orders operation after attack on police in Ghotki
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
More Stories From World
-
Football: English Championship table
2 hours ago -
Time for 'democratic transition' in Venezuela: opposition candidate to AFP
2 hours ago -
Spain's Pedro Sanchez : a risk-taker with a flair for survival
2 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 table
2 hours ago -
Nadal will only play French Open if he can 'compete well'
3 hours ago -
Ukraine, Israel, TikTok: the massive aid package before US Congress
3 hours ago
-
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
3 hours ago -
Football: French Ligue 1 results
3 hours ago -
Spain PM Sanchez says weighing resignation after wife's graft probe
4 hours ago -
Long-lost Klimt portrait auctioned off for 30 mn euros
4 hours ago -
TikTok to fight US ban law in courts
4 hours ago -
Anger among Ukrainians in Poland as Kyiv halts passport renewals
4 hours ago