Initial WHO-China Report Offers Nothing Substantial on COVID-19 Origins, May Take Years to Complete

Findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) and China's joint investigations into the root cause of COVID-19 provided little in terms of concrete proof on how the pandemic began -- an indication that scientists believe may take years to determine.

WHO food safety scientist Ben Embarek noted that the investigation is "only the start" of a meticulous, comprehensive process. He said investigators have just merely "scratched the surface" of a "very complex set of studies that need to be conducted."

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COVID-19 "Likely" to Have Originated in Bats

The WHO-China probe results indicate that COVID-19 is likely to have originated in bats and was transmitted to an intermediary animal, and went on to spread to humans, a CNN report said. It also debunked rumors that the coronavirus emanated from a lab in China, saying it was "extremely unlikely," further said in an NBC News report.

The results, however, were met with doubts on China's openness and willingness to reveal hard facts. They are considered the biggest hurdles, including the political impact of the probe, in finally finding answers.

These findings are from a WHO-led contingent that teamed up with Chinese scientists in China in February. Chinese authorities had delayed the WHO team's visit, which is now a year since the first virus outbreak.

Report Criticized as Inadequate, Limited

Critics slammed the probe as inadequate and limited since it was merely based on what the Chinese government allowed them to see. Local Chinese scientists part of the probe were all connected to state-run establishments, as the investigating team was not provided full access to raw data and important records.

The US and its 13 allies have raised concerns about the credibility of the report, an Al Jazeera report further stated

In the joint report, Embarek said the research team, comprising both WHO and Chinese scientists agreed that further research is needed in the next weeks or months. No commitments, however, were indicated on the specific details of the continuing probe, which aim to focus on some likely causes that were determined. The additional investigations would concentrate on genomic data to determine outbreaks before December 2019 that may have been overlooked and to trace possible transmission chains from the first human cases.

Observers note that while China would agree to work with investigators in the probe, it is still mindful of the political implications of whatever findings the team would release. Politics, they said, is certainly the biggest stumbling block in the probe since the Chinese government is very much aware of the negative impact of pinpointing China as the culprit.

Tense Political Climate in China

Speculations about the coronavirus' origins in a Chinese lab further bring tension to the political climate and because of this, the WHO-led team dismissed the reports saying they haven't found credible proof to support the assertion. Yet many around the world, including scientists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), believe otherwise.

Embarek further said in the briefing that while the findings identified the coronavirus origins to bats, investigators are still open to discovering other causes of the outbreak, following the principles of science.

In a statement, WHO Director-General Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it would not disregard any theory regarding the origins of the coronavirus, saying they will "leave no stone unturned" in finding the source of the virus.