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WHO to investigate Covid-19 first 'appeared' or 'originated' in Wuhan, China points fingers at India

China has claimed that just because corona cases were first reported in Wuhan, does not mean the contagion originated from here.

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WHO to investigate Covid-19 first 'appeared' or 'originated' in Wuhan, China points fingers at India
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Amidst World Health Organisation (WHO) team all geared up to investigate the origin of the Covid-19 virus, China has claimed that just because corona cases were first reported in Wuhan, does not mean the contagion originated from here.

State-run Chinese media have been carrying stories that a number of imported food products from different countries, including a consignment of fish from India, were found to have traces of the Covid-19, alleging that the virus may have entered China through foreign routes.

In an official statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian told a media briefing that, even though China was the first to report coronavirus, doesn’t necessarily mean China is where the virus originated.

He added, 'So we believe the origin process is a complex scientific issue which requires joint efforts on COVID-19 cooperation from the scientific community worldwide.'

The new development has come at a time when China is battling global adversity over the coronavirus and bracing for a WHO inquiry over its origin. However the question is not whether it 'appeared' in Wuhan, but whether it 'originated' in Wuhan.

The WHO team, which had its first meeting on October 30, is tasked with answering that question using 10 international specialists from the United States, Japan and other countries, working with counterparts in China.

The host for the virus is widely believed to be an animal from which the pathogen hopped to a human; finding the animal source could help science understand how it got into humans and prevent a repeat.

The theory that it emanated from a wet market in the Wuhan city from bats or pangolins before infecting humans, need to be scientifically proved.

On the other hand, US has been alleging that the virus emerged from a secretive bio-lab in Wuhan. The US President Donald Trump launched a tirade against China over Covid-19 terming it as 'China virus'.

Donald Trump denounced the WHO alleging that it is virtually controlled by China and has halted its funding. It has also formally notified the UN that US would withdraw itself from the global health body.

However, for China its a relief that President Donald Trump is on his way out. US President-elect Joe Biden has promised to rejoin it.

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