Cross posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/17841591

The World Health Organization has urged China to share data on the origins of the Covid pandemic, five years on from its start in the city of Wuhan.

“This is a moral and scientific imperative,” the WHO said in a statement to mark what it called the “milestone” anniversary.

“Without transparency, sharing, and co-operation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics,” it added.

Many scientists think the virus transferred naturally from animals to humans, but some suspicions persist that it escaped from a laboratory in Wuhan.

China has not responded to Monday’s WHO statement. In the past it has strongly rejected the lab leak theory.

In September, a team of scientists said it was “beyond reasonable doubt” that the Covid pandemic started with infected animals sold at a market, rather than a laboratory leak.

[…]

[WHO] director general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said at the time that at least seven million people had died in the pandemic.

But he added that the true figure was “likely” closer to 20 million deaths - nearly three times the official estimate.

Since then, the WHO has repeatedly warned against complacency about the possible emergence of future Covid-like illnesses.

Dr Ghebreyesus has said the next pandemic “can come at any moment” and has urged the world to be prepared.

[…]