Thread by @DrTedros

I welcome the report on the #COVID19 origins, which advances our understanding of this virus in important ways. The report also raises questions that will need to be addressed by further studies. bit.ly/3dePL6C

I thank the international & Chinese experts & welcome their recommendations for further studies to understand the earliest human cases & clusters of #COVID19, trace animals sold at markets in/around Wuhan, #China, & better understand potential animal hosts & intermediaries.

To understand the earliest human #COVID19 cases, scientists would benefit from full access to data including biological samples from at least September 2019.

In our discussions, international experts expressed the difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data. I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing. #COVID19

I welcome the report’s recommendations for further research into the trade in animals and products in markets across Wuhan, #China, particularly those linked to early human #COVID19 cases.

The team also addressed the possibility that the #COVID19 virus was introduced to humans via the food chain. Further study is important to identify what role farmed wild animals may have played in introducing the virus to markets in Wuhan, #China and beyond.

The team visited several labs in Wuhan, #China and considered whether the #COVID19 virus entered the human population via a lab incident. I do not believe that this assessment was extensive enough. Further data and studies are needed to reach more robust conclusions.

As far as @WHO is concerned all hypotheses remain on the table. This report is a very important beginning, but it is not the end. We have not yet found the source of the #COVID19 virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do.

Finding the origin of a virus takes time and we owe it to the world to find the #COVID19 virus source so we can collectively take steps to reduce the risk of this happening again. No single research trip can provide all the answers.