WUHAN, China (AP) – The WHO team of international researchers who arrived in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Thursday hopes to find clues to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The visit was shrouded in secrecy, neither China nor the WHO revealed exactly what the team will do or where it will go. Searching for origins is probably a years-long effort that could help prevent future pandemics.
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WHY WUHAN?
The Yangtze River Industrial and Transportation Center is the first place the coronavirus has appeared in the world. The virus may have reached Wuhan undetected elsewhere, but the city of 11 million is a logical place to start the mission.
People started getting sick in December 2019, many with links to a large food market that deals with live animals. The growing number of patients triggered alarms that prompted the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to send a team to investigate.
The disease is said to have devastated Wuhan before it was controlled in March. The city was blocked on January 23 with little or no warning. The hardships endured and the lives lost became a source of both pain and pride for the residents, once the 76-day closure was lifted on April 8.
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WHAT IS THE TEAM AGENDA?
First, they have to quarantine for 14 days, during which time they will collaborate with Chinese counterparts by video conference. Possible visits after quarantine are Huanan Seafood Market, the December 2019 case group website and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Scientists initially suspected that the virus came from wild animals sold on the market. Since then, the market has been largely ruled out, but it could provide clues as to how the virus has spread so far. Market evidence may still be available, along with evidence from those involved in the early response.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology maintains an extensive archive of genetic sequences of bat coronaviruses built in the wake of the 2003 SARS pandemic, which has spread from China to many countries. WHO team members would hope for access to laboratory journals and data, both junior and senior researchers, as well as security protocols for sample collection, storage and analysis.
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WHY THE SECRET?
China has strongly rejected requests for an independent external investigation. The head of the WHO recently expressed his impatience with how long it took China to make the necessary arrangements for the expert team’s visit.
The ruling Communist Party keeps the information tight and is particularly concerned about possible revelations about the treatment of the virus that could open it up to international criticism and financial demands.
China has stifled independent reports of the outbreak and published little information on the source of the virus. An AP investigation found that the government had strictly controlled all scientific research related to the outbreak and banned researchers from speaking to the press.
State media continue to report that the virus may have originated elsewhere. Announcing the experts’ visit, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that “tracking the origin of the virus will most likely involve more countries and localities.”