As one of his first acts as president, Joe Biden returned to the World Health Organization. But the recent comment by a major WHO official on the origins of the new coronavirus calls the decision into question.
Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO health emergency program, said at a news conference last week that it was “too early” to say that the coronavirus originated in China.
“I think we have to say this clearly; all chances are on the table and it is definitely too early to come to a conclusion as to where exactly this virus started, inside or outside China, ”he said.
Ryan was responding to an NBC reporter who asked about China’s denials that the virus originated in Wuhan or elsewhere in the country.
“We are going to back off, we are going to follow the evidence, we are going to follow the science. Our team is on site, they are having a good experience of working with our Chinese colleagues. We are working with the data. The data will take us to the next phase, where we need to go next to look at the origins of this virus, ”said Ryan.
In November, however, Ryan said it would be “highly speculative for us to say that the disease did not arise in China”.
Days after Biden signed an executive order returning to America for the @WHO, WHO tells NBC that it is “too early” to say that Covid originated in China pic.twitter.com/Kcn0uEkt9q
– Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 26, 2021
Former President Trump decided to formally withdraw the U.S. from the global health organization, accusing the world body of being in China’s pocket.
“The world is now suffering as a result of the Chinese government’s misconduct,” said Trump, adding that China has pressured WHO to “deceive the world” about COVID-19. “China has complete control over the World Health Organization,” he added – a statement that WHO has denied.