WUHAN, China (AP) – The WHO team of international researchers that arrived in the central Chinese city of Wuhan on Thursday hopes to find clues to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The visit has been shrouded in secrecy, with neither China nor the WHO revealing exactly what the team will be doing or where it will go. Searching for its origins will likely take years of effort that could help prevent future pandemics.
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WHY WUHAN?
The industrial and transportation hub on the Yangtze River is the first place in the world where the coronavirus emerged. It is possible that the virus has made its way to Wuhan unnoticed from elsewhere, but the city of 11 million is a logical place to start the mission.
In December 2019, people started to get sick, many with links to a sprawling food market dealing in live animals. The growing number of patients triggered alarms that prompted China’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention to send a team to investigate.
The disease would plague Wuhan before it was brought under control in March. The city was shut down on January 23 with little or no warning. The hardships and lost lives became a source of both grief and pride for residents when the 76-day lockdown was lifted on April 8.
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WHAT IS THE TEAM’S AGENDA?
First, they will have to be quarantined for 14 days, during which they will collaborate with Chinese counterparts via video conference. Possible post-quarantine visits include the Huanan Seafood Market, the site of the December 2019 cluster of cases, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Scientists initially suspected that the virus came from wild animals sold on the market. The market has been largely out of the question since then, but it could provide hints as to how the virus spread so widely. Samples from the market may still be available, along with the testimonials of those involved in the early response.
The Wuhan Institute of Virology maintains an extensive archive of bat coronaviruses genetic sequences built in the wake of the 2003 SARS pandemic, which spread to many countries from China. WHO team members hope to access laboratory logs and data, both junior and senior researchers, and safety protocols for sample collection, storage, and analysis.
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WHY THE SECRET?
China has firmly rejected calls for an independent external investigation. The head of the WHO recently expressed impatience at the time it took China to make the necessary arrangements for the expert team’s visit.
The ruling Communist Party is closely monitoring information and is particularly concerned about possible disclosures about its handling of the virus, which could expose it to international criticism and financial demands.
China suppressed independent reports about the outbreak and has published little information about its search for the origin of the virus. An AP investigation found that the government has strictly controlled all scientific investigations related to the outbreak and forbids researchers from speaking to the press.
State media continues to play reports suggesting the virus may have come from elsewhere. Announcing the experts’ visit, State Department spokesman Zhao Lijian said that “tracing the origin of the virus will most likely involve multiple countries and places.”