GENEVA (HRNW) – The World Health Organization said Friday it hoped China would invite it to take part in its investigations into the animal origins of the novel coronavirus.
“WHO would be keen to work with international partners and at the invitation of the Chinese government to participate in investigation around the animal origins,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic told news agency in an email.
He said the UN health agency understood there were a number of investigations under way in China “to better understand the source of the outbreak”, but added that “WHO is not currently involved in the studies in China.”
Scientists believe the killer virus jumped from animals to humans, emerging in China late last year, possibly from a market in Wuhan selling exotic animals for meat.
But US President Donald Trump has fuelled speculation and rumours — generally rejected by experts — that the virus may have emerged in a top-secret Chinese lab.
WHO has also faced scathing criticism from Trump, who earlier this month suspended Washington s funding after accusing the WHO of downplaying the seriousness of the outbreak and of kowtowing to China.
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