The trip to find the origin of nCoV in China by WHO experts in January, from the beginning, faced some controversy, was delayed and worried about difficulties in accessing data.

Did China obstruct the WHO investigation?

Western countries criticized the Chinese government for not being transparent when the outbreak began, handling it poorly in the early stages, and allowing the epidemic to spread outside the country.

There are concerns that after a year since the outbreak began, China may suppress information.

Why does China refuse to provide original data?

On February 13, infectious disease expert Dominic Dwyer, who joined the WHO investigation team, said Chinese scientists refused to share original information but only provided a summary.

Dwyer said access to raw data is especially important because only half of the 174 patients had visited the Huanan seafood market, where nCoV was first detected in Wuhan city, Hubei province, China.

`That’s why we wanted to request that information. I can’t comment on why they didn’t provide it. I don’t know if it was political reasons, timing, or any reason why they didn’t

However, zoologist Daszak said: `I found trust and openness from our Chinese partners. We really had access to important new data and a better understanding of transmission pathways.`

The theory that the virus leaked from the laboratory

The WHO research team believes that it is very unlikely that nCoV originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and delving into this idea is unnecessary.

The entrance to the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan was blocked on March 30, 2020 after this place recorded the world’s first Covid-19 outbreak.

The theory that the virus is transmitted through frozen food

China pushes the notion that nCoV arrived in Wuhan through the frozen product supply chain, linking the theory to other outbreaks in the country.

International reaction

US national security advisor Jake Sullivan expressed deep concern about these findings and called on China to provide data from the first days of the pandemic.

What will happen next?

WHO Director General Tedros said on February 12 that there are many hypotheses and more analysis and research are needed on the origin of Covid-19.

WHO plans to release a summary report of experts’ search for the origin of nCoV this week and a complete report including recommendations later.

A team of WHO experts led by Dr. Peter Ben Embarek, a food safety and animal disease scientist, arrived in Wuhan in January. The delegation had 14 members including epidemiologists, scientists