New WHO group may be last chance to find COVID virus origins

The World Health Organisation says a new taskforce may be the last chance to find the origins of COVID-19

The WHO has nominated 26 experts to join the body, more than a year-and-a-half since the virus emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The new team will consider if the virus jumped from animals to humans in Wuhan markets, or leaked in a lab accident.

China has strongly denied the lab leak theory.

It follows an earlier investigation from the WHO that concluded the virus had probably come from bats but that more work was needed.

But the WHO’s Director General said the investigation had been hampered by a lack of data and transparency from China.

The WHO has set up the Scientific Advisory Group on the Origins of Novel Pathogens known as ‘Sago’ to lead the taskforce

The proposed members of the Sago group include six experts who visited China as part of the previous team.

Aside from coronavirus, Sago will also look into the origins of other high-risk pathogens.

“Understanding where new pathogens come from is essential for preventing future outbreaks,” said Dr Tedros said.

In a joint editorial in the journal Science, Dr Tedros and other WHO officials said “a lab accident cannot be ruled out”.