Attempts to politicize WHO coronavirus study slammed

Some foreign politicians and media outlets showed great disrespect to the work of scientists by trying to politicize the WHO study on the COVID-19 origin and deliberately misinterpreted experts' conclusions and report, Liang Wannian, head of the Chinese team in the joint study, said on Wednesday.

Liang said in an interview with China Daily that such actions will cause major obstacles to international cooperation on pandemic response, and it is important for the global community to conduct the tracing on the origin of the virus on the basis of respecting science and facts.

The WHO and China conducted a joint study on the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, between Jan 14 and Feb 10, and a World Health Organization spokesperson on Tuesday said that the international expert team that visited China to conduct COVID-19 origin-tracing study may release a research report next week.

Liang said Chinese and foreign experts have trusted and worked closely together with each other during their joint study on the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, and they have faithfully adhered to a scientific principle and open spirit.

He said that the COVID-19 is of natural origin, and the greatest possibility is that the virus was transmitted from a natural reservoir to an intermediate host before jumping to humans.

"It is 'extremely unlikely' that the virus was spread to humans through a laboratory leak," he said.

He underscored that the joint expert team of China WHO COVID-19 origin research in Wuhan is totally independent, and experts have been offered opportunities to speak to a variety of groups, including medical workers, laboratory workers, researchers, market managers, vendors and members of the public during the process.