Washington: The G7 this weekend is all set to call for a new and transparent WHO-certified study into the origins of the virus, especially Wuhan Lab leak theory.
President Joe Biden issued a 90-day period to the intel agencies to come up with “specific questions for China” to probe the genesis of COVID-19.
Here’s what the new study should scrutinise:
Details of Wuhan Lab research
An insight into the experiments being conducted at the lab is demanded. Additionally, the intel team is directed to inspect whether the institute conducted gain-of-function experiments, in which researchers manipulate naturally occurring viruses to see if they can be made deadlier or more transmissible.
Medical records of lab workers
Several media reports across the globe claimed that three researchers from the lab fell ill after contracting the virus during their research. Despite several re-iterations, the WHO team demands an insight into the details of the employees who fell ill.
More data on early cases
To identify the earliest human cases in December 2019, the WHO team reviewed health records, mortality data, trends in retail sales of cold and cough medications and reported patterns of influenza-like illnesses and severe respiratory infections in the two months preceding the outbreak in Wuhan.
Documentation on Wuhan wet markets
After identification of potential animal sources in China, the WHO team sought additional sampling of animal species like bats that may act as reservoirs. Details of the farms that raised minks, foxes, raccoon dogs and other fur-producing animals in China from 2018 to 2020 are to be extracted for further details.
Evidence from outside China
After the inception of the virus, China claimed that the virus had been transported to the country from its point of origin through frozen food imports. The WHO team has called for collecting and analysing epidemiological, clinical, molecular and environmental data from other countries to better understand the virus’s origins, since some reports have suggested it may have been circulating outside China before December 2019.
Read About: No Data Breach, CoWIN Portal Secure: Health Ministry