A report released by a panel of 27 independent, international, and multidisciplinary specialists associated with the World Health Organization’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origin of Pathogens (SAGO) revealed its findings on the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report indicates, based on gathered evidence, that the Covid-19 virus emerged from bats, following three years of research.
“The weight of available evidence…suggests zoonotic spillover…either directly from bats or through an intermediate host,” the report partly states.
Dr. Marietjie Venter, who chairs SAGO and serves as a distinguished professor and One Health Research chair in vaccines and surveillance for emerging viral hazards at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, explains that understanding the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is essential for preventing future outbreaks.
“Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it sparked a pandemic is needed to help prevent future pandemics, save lives and livelihoods, and reduce global suffering,” stresses Venter.
SAGO had previously asked China to provide numerous genetic sequences from COVID-19 patients and animals sold in Wuhan, as well as information regarding laboratories' biosafety conditions in Wuhan, but China refused to share the data.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, urges China and other nations possessing COVID-19 information to share it with the WHO.
“We continue to appeal to China and any other country that has information about the origins of COVID-19 to share that information openly, in the interests of protecting the world from future pandemics,” Ghebreyesus adds.
The COVID-19 pandemic, also referred to as the coronavirus pandemic, originated in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
This viral illness is attributed to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The virus subsequently extended its reach to Asia and eventually across the globe in 2020, resulting in significant loss of life and the disruption of global economies.
