At the initiative of the World Health Organization, a comprehensive study into the origin of COVID‑19 — the virus that became humanity’s greatest test over more than three years — has been conducted, euronews.com reports. Although 27 qualified scientists were involved in this global analysis, their results did not result in clear and unanimous conclusions — the source of the pandemic remains at the center of debate.
During the investigation, scientists studied many scientific evidences and hypotheses concerning the transmission of the virus to humans from animals, especially bats. However, one of the most contentious topics remains the possible spread from Chinese laboratories. There was insufficient data to investigate this hypothesis further, and the Chinese government did not provide requested information, leaving the matter open.
According to group leader Marietjie Venter, the existing scientific evidence mainly points to zoonotic transfer of COVID‑19. The laboratory hypothesis, however, has neither been definitively ruled out nor confirmed. Significant disagreements arose among researchers, with some participants leaving the team in protest.
WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that identifying the source of a pandemic that caused 20 million deaths and inflicted USD 10 trillion in economic damage is a moral duty for experts. The lack of clarity in the results has sparked numerous debates and questions in scientific circles and the general public.
During the pandemic, relations between the USA and China became strained historically. U.S. officials accused Beijing of concealing real data early in the pandemic. Donald Trump referred to the coronavirus as the “Chinese virus,” intensifying diplomatic tensions. A U.S. Congressional report stated the virus was created in a Chinese laboratory. Beijing, in turn, proposed an alternative theory that the virus was spread by U.S. military personnel. However, these views remain unsupported by strong evidence.
As a reminder, an unknown disease was first detected in Wuhan in December 2019 (or November, according to some sources), and China officially reported the outbreak on January 20, 2020. Until February, the virus mainly spread within China, then rapidly around the globe, and the WHO declared it a pandemic.
To this day, the precise origin of the coronavirus remains unresolved, and discussions will likely continue in the near future. The scientific community and experts remain committed to seeking the truth — another step toward a safer future for humanity. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!
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