WUHAN, China (AP) – A global team of researchers arrived in the Chinese city where the coronavirus pandemic was first discovered on Thursday to conduct a politically sensitive investigation into its origins amid uncertainty as to whether Beijing could be try to avoid embarrassing discoveries.
The ten-person team sent to Wuhan by the World Health Organization was approved by President Xi Jinping’s government after months of diplomatic bickering that led to an unusual public complaint from the WHO chief.
Scientists suspect that the virus, which has killed 1.9 million people since late 2019, jumped on humans by bats or other animals, most likely in southwest China. The ruling Communist Party, stung by complaints that it has spread the disease, says the virus came from abroad, possibly through imported seafood, but scientists reject that.
The team arrived at Wuhan airport a little after 11am on a bright yellow Scoot jet and walked through a makeshift clear plastic tunnel into the airport. Wearing only face masks, the investigators were greeted by airport personnel in full protective gear, complete with mask, goggles and full body suits.
Team members include virus and other experts from the United States, Australia, Germany, Japan, Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands, Qatar and Vietnam.
A government spokesman said this week that they will “exchange views” with Chinese scientists, but gave no indication as to whether they would be allowed to collect evidence.
They will undergo a two-week quarantine, a throat swab and an antibody test for COVID-19, according to CGTN, the English-language channel of the state broadcaster CCTV. They will start working in quarantine with Chinese experts via video conferencing.
China rejected demands for an international investigation after the Trump administration blamed Beijing for the spread of the virus, sending the world economy into its deepest slump since the 1930s.
After Australia called for an independent investigation in April, Beijing retaliated by blocking imports of Australian beef, wine and other goods.
One possibility is that a wild animal poacher passed the virus to traders who brought it to Wuhan, one of the WHO team members, zoologist Peter Daszak of the American group EcoHealth Alliance, told the Associated Press in November.
A single visit from scientists is unlikely to confirm the origin of the virus; Securing the animal reservoir from an outbreak is usually an exhausting endeavor that requires years of research, including animal sampling, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.
“The government needs to be very transparent and cooperate,” said Shin-Ru Shih, director of the Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections at Chang Gung University in Taiwan.
The Chinese government has tried to confuse the origin of the virus. It has promoted theories, with little evidence, that the outbreak could have started with the importation of tainted seafood, an idea that has been rejected by international scientists and agencies.
“WHO will have to conduct similar studies elsewhere,” a National Health Commission official Mi Feng said Wednesday.
Part of the WHO team was on their way to China a week ago, but had to return after Beijing announced that it had not received valid visas.
That may have been a “bureaucratic mess,” but the incident “begs the question of whether the Chinese authorities were trying to intervene,” said Adam Kamradt-Scott, a health expert at the University of Sydney.
A potential focus for researchers is the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the city where the outbreak started. It was one of the top virus research labs in China, building an archive of genetic information on bat coronaviruses after the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak.
According to WHO published agenda for the origin investigation, there are no plans to assess whether the coronavirus may have been accidentally released into the Wuhan laboratory, as some US politicians, including President Donald Trump, have claimed.
A “scientific audit” of the Institute’s records and security measures would be a “routine activity,” said Mark Woolhouse, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh. He said it depends on how willing the Chinese authorities are to share information.
“There’s a great element of trust here,” said Woolhouse.
An AP investigation found that the government had imposed controls on the investigation into the outbreak and prohibited scientists from speaking to reporters.
The exact origin of the coronavirus may never be traced, as viruses change quickly, Woolhouse said.
While it can be challenging to find exactly the same COVID-19 virus in animals as in humans, discovering closely related viruses could help explain how the disease first emerged from animals and clarify the preventive measures needed to prevent future epidemics.
Scientists should instead focus on creating a “comprehensive picture” of the virus to help respond to future outbreaks, Woolhouse said.
“Now is not the time to blame anyone,” said Shih. “We shouldn’t say it’s your fault.”
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Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan.