The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Chinese health authorities to release genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, after a new analysis of genetic material collected from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China revealed animal DNA in samples already known to be positive for the virus. The analysis uncovered a significant amount of animal DNA that appears to belong to raccoon dogs, which were known to be traded at the market, and WHO has urged other countries to share their data in order to help scientists better understand the virus and its origins.
Posts tagged as “The World Health Organization”
Scientists from around the world have analyzed genetic data from samples collected near the first human cases of Covid-19 in China, suggesting that the pandemic originated from animals, not a lab. The WHO has called for more research and data sharing to gain a better understanding of the virus and how it spread.
The U.S. has been urged to respect science and facts in its investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. FBI Director Christopher Wray suggested that Covid-19 may have originated from a potential lab incident in Wuhan, China, and the Chinese government has interfered with the FBI's ongoing probe. The World Health Organization has called for more international cooperation and collaboration to help uncover the source of the virus.
The US Department of Energy has concluded with "low confidence" that the Covid-19 pandemic "likely" originated from a laboratory leak in Wuhan, China, according to a classified report delivered to key lawmakers on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. Intelligence agencies can make assessments with either low, medium or high confidence, but one source cautioned that the DOE's conclusion was not being viewed as hugely significant due to interagency disagreements. The US Department of Energy's assessment is the latest in a series of reports from the US government and other countries that have sought to determine the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Monday, a devastating earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, leaving thousands dead and injured. Local activists in Aleppo reported a particularly tragic scene, in which a pregnant mother died before rescue workers could reach her. The World Health Organization warned that the death toll could rise "eightfold" as rescue efforts continue, and the current death toll stands at 2,600.