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Updated May 26th, 2021 at 10:16 IST

COVID-19: US demands fresh probe over virus origin; seeks 'transparent' process from China

White House stated that the world needs to "get to the bottom" of the origins of the novel coronavirus, adding that the WHO and China ought to participate more.

Reported by: Srishti Jha
COVID-19
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In view of the enduring COVID-19 pandemic and various theories regarding its origin, a senior White House adviser has stated that the world needs to "get to the bottom" of the origins of the novel coronavirus, pressing that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and China ought to participate more in order to attain an unambiguous answer in the matter. 

The White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt during a briefing on Tuesday said, "It is our position that we need to get to the bottom of this and we need a completely transparent process from China. We need the WHO to assist in that matter. We do not feel like that we have that now. We need to get to the bottom of this whatever the answer may be and that's a critical priority for us."

White House urges WHO 

White House deemed the investigation into the origin a "critical priority" and urged more transparency. The need to trace COVID-19 origins and extensive probe have been sought by officials worldwide.

In the virtual conclave Andy Slavitt had also said, "An international investigation led by the World Health Organization is something that we've actually been pressing for several months in coordination with a range of partners around the world."

The White House’s Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, told reporters during the same briefing call Tuesday. “ While it’s more likely the coronavirus jumped from an animal to humans, we don’t know 100 per cent the answer to that. It is imperative that we do an investigation.”

USA's Undisclosed Report on COVID-19 origin

This investigation holds relevance days after a previously undisclosed and controversial Wall Street report propelled conspiracies claiming three researchers from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) sought hospital care after they fell sick in November 2019. This was a month prior to Beijing's opening report of COVID-like symptoms in a patient.

Fueling speculation on COVID-19 lab leak theory, the confidential report read, "The US government has reason to believe that several researchers inside the WIV became sick in autumn 2019, before the first identified case of the outbreak with symptoms consistent with both COVID-19 and common seasonal illness."

The Biden's administration's top medical adviser shared they "feel strongly" that the world must proceed with the investigation and prepare for the probe that the WHO has arranged. He stated that an investigation was imperative as no one knows "100 per cent what the origin is". 

Earlier this week, in an endeavour for a fuller probe into the origins of COVID-19 contagions, the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claimed the US did not have enough data and information to jump to a conclusion. She had issued an official statement stating there is certainly a misunderstanding on how the process actually works.

While stating that the United States needed information from Beijing, Jen Psaki said, "What we can't do and what I could caution anyone doing is leaping ahead of an actual international process." 

When speculation is such- the virus escaped from the Chinese laboratories, we know the outcome is relevant, irrespective. Therefore, a fuller and amplified investigation coupled with the WHO acumen will settle the stir caused. 

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Published May 26th, 2021 at 10:16 IST

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