China slams 2nd phase of WHO's COVID origin probe, says 'tracing should be done worldwide'

As the World Health Organisation (WHO) announces a new advisory group to study the origins of COVID-19, China on Friday hit out at the global health body calling the probe into the lab-leak theory 'unacceptable and inappropriate.' Liang Wannian, a Chinese expert in the WHO-convened joint team stated that the next phase of the probe should focus on countries where horseshoe bat and pangolins( which were touted to be the cause of the Coronavirus during its initial days) reside. He also stated that the WHO was ignoring the 1st-phase study and not consulting member states before launching the 2nd phase of the COVID origin probe. 

"The next-phase COVID19 origins-tracing should be carried out worldwide in countries where horseshoe bat and pangolins reside, and which supply Wuhan Huanan market through cold-chain logistics," said Liang Wannian, a Chinese expert in the WHO-convened joint team on origins tracing, as quoted by Global Times.

"It's unacceptable and inappropriate that WHO came up with 2nd-phase of COVID-19 origins-tracing that focused on a lab-leak theory, classified as extremely unlikely in the 1st-phase study, which ignored evidence and did not consult member states," added the China's Health Commission official.

WHO to form new panel on COVID origin probe

The WHO on Thursday said that it will be creating a new advisory group to study the pathogens with pandemic potential and also understand the COVID-19 origin. This comes after the WHO in July proposed the second phase of the study by auditing China's laboratories and markets in the city. However, this proposal was rejected by Beijing. 

Confirming the same, WHO issued a statement on Thursday and provided details regarding the advisory group. Further speaking on the group, it said, "The International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens, or SAGO, is a new advisory group for WHO, which will be responsible for advising WHO on the development of a global framework to systematically study the emergence of future emerging pathogens and pandemic potential. For SARS-CoV-2, it will support the rapid undertaking of recommended studies outlined in the March 2021 report."

The origins of COVID-19 which was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019, remains a broadly debated topic among scientists and delegates who deem the likelihood of Wuhan lab leak theory more than something that is dismissable. 

(With Agency Inputs)