COVID-19 probably passed from bats, further studies required – WHO-China report

A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that the virus was probably transmitted from bats to humans through another animal, and that a lab leak was “extremely unlikely” as a cause, a summary seen by Reuters said on Monday.

The WHO did not immediately reply to a query seeking comment, but said the full report by the independent experts would be published on Tuesday at 1400 GMT after member states have been briefed.

The findings, first reported by the Associated Press, match what WHO experts have said previously about their conclusions following a Jan-Feb visit to the central Chinese city of Wuhan where the first human cases were detected in late 2019.

Three laboratories in Wuhan working with coronaviruses had “well-managed”, high-quality biosafety levels, and there had been no reports of compatible respiratory illness among staff during the preceding months, the report said.

Nor had they tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus in subsequent blood screening for antibodies, the report said.

“In view of the above, a laboratory origin of the pandemic was considered to be extremely unlikely,” it said.

WILDLIFE

Many questions remain unanswered about the virus that sparked the pandemic and the team proposed further research in bats and pangolins in China as well as in southeast Asia. Surveys of other wild animals – including civets, mink and ferrets – known to be infected by the virus were recommended.