There are many theories as to how Covid 19 spread around the world and also how rapidly it spread. There was a joint study between the WHO and China that states that there is a high possibility the disease transmitted to humans from bats and then through other animals and not through a laboratory leak. The theory that it was through a lab leak was deemed as highly unlikely. The finding of this report and study was expected but there are still many questions that have been left unanswered. The team itself has not looked into the possibility of a lab leak as that option is not even given in the proposed research study.
The release of this reported had been delayed numerous times. This didn’t give any kind of positive lighting as there were now question as to if China was trying to manipulate the finding of the report to make sure that china was not shown in any kind of bad light to the rest of the world. The World Health Organization official spokesperson came out in public and stated that the report itself will be ready for release in the next few days.
The media got what was to be the ear final version from a Geneva based diplomat from a WHO member country. It still was not 100% clear if the report might still be changed again before it is released to the greater public. The diplomat however did not want to be identified as they were not authorized to be releasing this document to anyone ahead of its official publication and release.
There are four possible scenarios that the researches have taken into account. It was concluded by the end that the second scenario which was that the disease was transmitted by animals was the most likely one. Evaluations were done that a direct spread from bats to human was the most possible. There was another out of the four which was the spread through cold chain food but this was only a slight possibility and not very likely.
The closest relative of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been found in bats, which are known to carry coronaviruses. However, the report says that “the evolutionary distance between these bat viruses and SARS-CoV-2 is estimated to be several decades, suggesting a missing link. “It said that highly similar viruses have been found in pangolins, but also noted that mink and cats are susceptible to the COVID-19 virus, which suggests they could be carriers.
The report is based largely on a visit by a WHO team of international experts to Wuhan, the Chinese city where COVID-19 was first detected, from mid-January to mid-February.
Peter Ben Embarek, the WHO expert who led the Wuhan mission, said Friday that the report had been finalized and was being fact-checked and translated. “I expect that in the next few days, that whole process will be completed and we will be able to release it publicly,” he said.
