London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 2025

WHO Covid report leaves many stones unturned

WHO Covid report leaves many stones unturned

The joint WHO-China report on the origins of Covid-19 comes to four conclusions, and none are definitive. They are essentially preliminary assessments.

What the 120-page report does make clear is that the WHO team was not able to get a clear picture of the crucial weeks and months before early December 2019, when the first known Covid cases were reported here in Wuhan.

A lack of access to blood samples from donors in the city and swab samples from adults, in particular, stands out. As does the lack of access to samples of frozen food, from domestic suppliers, sold at Huanan wholesale market - the place where a significant cluster of the first cases emerged. There are other less significant, but still notable, revelations. Some we already knew about. Some we didn't.

An increase in the number of flu-like illnesses needs re-examining to see if there are signs of the Covid-19 outbreak. Stringent case definitions early on in the outbreak and changing edicts on case reporting may have made it less likely that milder early cases - crucial to investigating the spread - could be identified.

The WHO team says its inability to examine blood samples from people who gave blood in Wuhan in the weeks, months, and years before the outbreak denied the team evidence of "great added value". Officials from Wuhan Blood Centre gave a presentation but no samples were made available. The WHO report recommends antibody testing on blood donor samples from the last three months of 2019, with regulatory and ethical "approval". It says no conclusion can be made about Covid-19 causing flu-like illnesses in adults in December 2019.

Swab samples from adults from the last three weeks of December were not available either. Therefore no conclusions can be made about Covid-19 causing flu like illnesses in those weeks, the WHO said.

The Huanan seafood market has become infamous as the reported locus of the outbreak

In the now infamous Huanan market, Covid-19 traces were found on numerous surfaces. But there was no evidence of the disease in animal products collected from the stalls in early January 2020. Nor from suppliers. China has repeatedly emphasised the possibility of contamination - even origin - through cold chain supply. Just over 1,000 samples of imported frozen foreign goods on sale at the time, which were still in stock, were tested. All were negative. The report says no domestic supplies were available.

The challenge of tracing early mild cases, particularly with a disease which we now know can be asymptotic, is not unique to China. But the report highlights how case definition - and the administrative delays when reporting rules change - have a "major impact" on the number and type of cases identified.

The WHO team travelled to Wuhan in late January

The team notes the small number of cases - just 92 from more than 76,000 - that were reviewed by China's health authorities because they matched some of the Covid-19 criteria. All 92 subsequently tested negative in serological testing. A method the report says is not reliable after a long period of time.

This final observation may be nothing. But it stands out. Some in China have claimed the World Military Games in Wuhan, in the weeks before the outbreak, was when foreigners taking part could've imported the virus. The WHO team asked for information on "mass gatherings in Wuhan in late 2019". Chinese authorities provided information on "international gatherings" held in Wuhan in that time.

Five participants were treated, on site, for serious illnesses, according to the records. None had serious respiratory diseases, and there was no sign of clusters of fever. But the WHO report says the data from the clinics which treated the participants has not been evaluated by the joint team.


The BBC's Stephen McDonell visited Wuhan ahead of the anniversary of the world's first Covid-19 lockdown


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×