The Chinese Government concludes the investigation of the origin of COVID-19 and points to United States among possible causesin a document in which they defend the conclusions of the study conducted together with the World Health Organization (WHO), published in 2021, in which four different scenarios were raised on the appearance and propagation of the virus.
2021 investigation indicated as ‘possible to very likely’ the introduction of an intermediary guest at the origin of the virus; of ‘possible to probable’ direct propagation of zoonotic diseases; as ‘possible’ that its introduction was through products of the cold chain, and, finally, ‘extremely unlikely’ that the origin was a laboratory leak.
The document, entitled ‘White book on China’s actions and position on the prevention and control of COVID-19 and the tracking of the virus origin’was released this Wednesday by the Information Office of the State Council through the Xinhua news agency. In it, it stands out especially The possibility that the virus arrived in Wuhan from abroad through the cold chain. “There is the possibility that the new Coronavirus epidemic that occurred in the Marisco de Huanan (Wuhan) wholesale market at the end of 2019 has been introduced from abroad through the cold chain”, Says the document.
What does China say?
Chinese authorities have insisted that Research on molecular tracking, detection of guest animals and cold chains suggest that Wuhan is not the natural origin of COVID-19. In addition, having no “Evidence contrary” to the conclusions of the ‘World study convened by WHO on the origins of Sras-COV-2: Chinese part’they consider that Research on the origin of the virus “has ended”.
Despite this joint report, WHO urged Beijing at the end of 2024 to share more data To understand the origins of pandemic. However, the Chinese government has defended at all times Your transparency.
United States, possible origin of the virus
In the document it is also suggested that The origin of Coronavirus could be in the United States. It is remembered that US health authorities reported respiratory disease outbreaks In several states between May and October 2019, initially attributed to a “Pneumonia caused by electronic cigarettes”.
Many of the patients presented Symptoms like cough, dyspnea and fatigueand some suffered Serious pulmonary damage. The first cases were detected in Illinois and Wisconsin in March 2019and The first death was recorded on August 23 of that year. By November 2020, they had been counted 2,807 hospitalizations and 68 deaths.
The text also cites a Study of US National Health Instituteswhich revealed that the virus began to circulate in the US. At the end of December, a month before the first cases officially notified. It also refers to a “mysterious disease” which affected two communities in northern Virginia in July 2019, with 54 affected people and Two deaths.
That same summer, The Fort Detrick Biological Weapons Programs Center (USA) had to temporarily close for security reasonswhich has led Beijing to ask Washington a “Serious scientific explanation” on the matter. “The United States has long suffered frequent biosafety accidents in laboratories. All these doubts suggest that the outbreak could occur before the announced and before in China”, Collects the White Paper. China asks for an exhaustive investigation into the origin of the virus in the US.
Research on the cold chain
The document also reports various work done in China on the origin of the virus. According to data, The first cases appeared in Wuhan between mid -November and early December 2019being the First case confirmed on December 8.
After analyzing outbreaks in The Xinfadi market (Beijing) and The city of Dalian —Bas without cases for more than 50 days – it was observed that The contagios mainly affected market workers already.
He September 24, 2020 They were detected two cases in load operators in Qindaowithout a trip or contact with infected. The authorities underline that Frozen food packaging samples tested positive in covid-19 nucleic acid, and that the genetic analysis confirmed contagion from that material.
In parallel, no trace of the virus was found after analyzing More than 80,000 wild animals samples (Bats, pangolines, wild birds, wild boars, mapaches), as well as farm animals and poultry throughout the country.
In early 2020, a Chinese Academy of Medical Academy He analyzed bat in Wuhan and its surroundings Without detecting genetic sequences of the coronavirusdiscarding that the virus originated there. In 2023, The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published an article where 457 Huanan market animals samples gave negative results in Covid-19 tests.
