COVID-19: 'Don't rely too much on US intel', says member of special WHO mission to China

A member of the World Health Organization (WHO) team, who went to Wuhan to find out the origin of the virus, has urged people to not rely on US intelligence too much, adding "they are wrong on many aspects". Peter Daszak, a British zoologist, took to his Twitter handle to share a news article, which had reported that the United States will not accept WHO team's findings without independently verifying information, said that President Joe Biden has to look tough on China, adding he would be happy to help in their quest to verify.

Read: Two Members Of WHO Mission In China Leave Wuhan

Daszak reminded the United States to follow the basic principle, which is first 'trust' and then 'verify'. Daszak added that the US intelligence agencies had become "increasingly disengaged" under former US President Donald Trump, adding "please don't rely too much on US intel". 

Read: WHO Mission To China Says 'no Indication' Of COVID Virus In Wuhan Before December 2019

What WHO said after end of probe in China?

The WHO team has officially ended its probe in China, where it went with two key objectives - one was to better understand what happened at the beginning of the event in December 2019, when the virus was first identified in Wuhan, and the second, was to determine how the virus emerged and whether it was circulating prior to December 2019. The WHO team, in a briefing on Tuesday, said the basic understanding of the virus remains the same with the only minor addition of details. 

Read: China Blocks Clubhouse, App Used For Political Discussion

The primary source of the virus still remains unclear as WHO scientists dismissed the spread from bats to humans, saying Wuhan is not a city close to bat population, hence spread from bats is highly unlikely. "The work to identify the possible animal sources is still under progress," the WHO team said. However, the team did confirm that the virus spread from the animal market in Wuhan, where it was suspected earlier by global experts. The WHO team said a detailed report about the mission will be published in the coming weeks. 

Read: WHO Mission To China Says Lab Leak 'extremely Unlikely', Says COVID-19 Source Unclear