WUHAN, China (AP) – World Health Organization experts visited an animal disease center in the Chinese city of Wuhan on Tuesday as part of their investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Team member Peter Daszak told reporters later that they had “excellent facilities, very informative meeting”, and he tweeted that the team met with the team responsible for livestock health in Hubei province, visited laboratories and had a discussion “in-depth” along with questions and answers.
Further details of the visit were not announced.
Team members wore full protective gear during Tuesday’s visit, an additional indication of the work China did in preparing for the WHO visit to Wuhan, where the first COVID-19 diseases emerged in late 2019.
Outside their hotel and in public spaces, experts have always worn masks and professional or business attire, but it is unclear whether they wore full-body protective suits at the research institutes, hospitals and markets they previously visited.
Intense negotiations preceded the WHO visit to Wuhan, as China maintained strict controls over access to information about the virus, possibly to avoid blame for alleged errors in its initial response to the outbreak.
But on Monday, WHO officials in Geneva resisted suggestions that the team of experts from 10 countries was not getting enough access or data.
WHO’s COVID-19 technical leader, Maria Van Kerkhove, said the team plans to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology, considered one of the main sources of information on the origins of the virus. Dr Michael Ryan, WHO’s chief of emergencies, said the agency continues to request more data and that anyone with information about how the pandemic started should share it with the organization.
The data the team will gather will add to what is expected to be a years-long search for answers involving collecting animal samples, genetic analysis and epidemiological studies.
China has largely stopped domestic transmission of the virus through sometimes draconian measures, including rigorous testing and electronic surveillance. The use of masks in public is standard and blockages are routinely imposed on communities and even entire cities where cases are detected.
Schools have gone online and travel has been drastically reduced during this month’s Lunar New Year holiday, with the government offering incentives for people to stay in cities instead of returning to their hometowns for family reunions.