Five years ago today, WHO's Country Office in China picked up a media statement that appeared on the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission's website regarding cases of "viral pneumonia" in Wuhan. It was, of course, COVID-19, and in marking the five-year milestone of the world-changing pandemic, the WHO once again called on China to "share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19," calling it "a moral and scientific imperative."
The statement added that "without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics." China was unequivocal in its response, reports the AFP:
- "Five years ago ... China immediately shared epidemic information and viral gene sequence with the WHO and the international community. Without holding anything back, we shared our prevention, control and treatment experience, making a huge contribution to the international community's pandemic-fighting work."
It wasn't until 2023 that the WHO was able to delve into some data collected in early 2020 at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, when raw genetic sequences were briefly uploaded to the data-sharing site GISAID. Per CNN, researchers downloaded the information before it was removed and determined "coronavirus-susceptible animals and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 were present at a specific section of the market, although the study did not confirm whether the animals themselves were infected with the virus." CNN notes the US and other Western countries have accused China of not handing over complete data. (More COVID-19 stories.)