Thread by @FLAHAULT

1/9 - “Beijing has barred the entry of a 10-member World Health Organization team investigating the origins of the #COVID19 pandemic after their visas were not approved.”
ft.com/content/7e9ce6…

2/9 - “The slow progress of the WHO probe and its lack of access into the origins of the pandemic have drawn criticism from the US and calls for greater transparency from some western governments.”

3/9 - “China maintains that it welcomes the investigation, which will be primary focused on identifying when, where and how the #SARSCoV2 virus that causes #COVID19 made the jump from animals to humans.”

4/9 - “Many scientists believe the disease originated in bats, which have been found to carry genetically similar virus strains. But many stages in the virus’s transmission to humans remain uncharted.”

5/9 - “A leading theory, which suggested that the first human infections came from a market in Wuhan where multiple species of wildlife were on sale, has been drawn into question after several early cases were discovered without an obvious link to the location.”

6/9 - “Despite uncertainty over the exact transmission route, WHO experts have maintained that the investigation must begin in Wuhan and follow the evidence from studies conducted in the central Chinese city.”

7/9 - “Chinese officials have suggested that the origin of the virus is outside the country. The country’s state media has also selectively reported international research to argue that the virus began elsewhere and only arrived later in Wuhan, possibly via cold chain goods.”

8/9 - “Over the weekend, Wang Yi, the Chinese foreign minister, declared that “more and more research suggests that the pandemic was likely to have been caused by separate outbreaks in multiple places in the world”.

9/9 - “Concerns over the WHO team’s ability to carry out a scientifically rigorous and independent set of studies mounted after a two-person advanced team failed to visit Wuhan in July.”