A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization arrived today at a veterinary facility in Wuhan, central China, seeking evidence about the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reuters reported that the independent team visited major hospitals, the regional branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Huanan seafood market, which is believed to be linked to the first cases of coronavirus at the end of 2019. In response to a question before entering the veterinary center, Peter Daszak, a team member and president of EcoHealth Alliance, stated that the visit was going "very well," adding upon departure that the team held "very useful meetings," but did not provide further details.
The veterinary center in Hubei province, which combats animal epidemics, may offer information on how the coronavirus transmitted from bats to humans, possibly through intermediate species. Studies suggest that the virus may have been transferred from mink or pangolins, but there are also speculations that bat product traders may have carried the virus months before its spread in Wuhan.
