No indication of coronavirus in China before December 2019: WHO
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The WHO investigation in China has reported no indication of the Covid-19 virus in Wuhan before December 2019. Liang Wannian, head of the China team, at a press briefing on Tuesday said that "there is no enough evidence" to determine if the virus was in the city before that.
According to scientists, though the virus seemed to have originated in bats that were then transmitted to humans, the virus's exact origin is yet to be discovered.
Since there is a chance that the virus could have reached the country through cold chain products, the team is now researching the possibility of "cold chain" transmission, referring to the transport and trade of frozen food.
Dismissing the lab theory, Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) mission, said it was "extremely unlikely" that the virus leaked from a lab of Wuhan and therefore does not require further studies.
The world widely speculated about the theory of virus leaking from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, one among China's top labs. It was also propagated by the former US President Donald Trump in the wake of the pandemic.
But according to Peter Embarek, the investigation team's visit into the laboratory has shown that it is doubtful. He also added that the team has uncovered new information but failed to change the outbreak's current picture.
The WHO investigation team landed in Wuhan on January 14th and began their study after completing their two weeks' quarantine. The arrival of the team in Wuhan happened after much delay due to months-long negotiations with China.
