An international group of scientists on Thursday demanded that China stop blocking independent research into the origins of Covid-19, hours before the start of the Beijing Winter Games.
In an open letter, the 20 scientists from Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, India and Japan strongly criticize Beijing for obstructing efforts to discover the origin of the pandemic.
In the letter – titled “Allowing a broad international investigation into the origins of the pandemic would be a true expression of Olympic values” – experts warn that not revealing the exact origin of the virus that causes Covid-19 exposes the world to greater danger of future pandemics.
“The Chinese government’s effort to block any real investigation into the origins of the pandemic (…) was an affront to the international scientific community and people around the world,” they note.
The document urges countries and people around the world to use the Olympics to expose Chinese obstruction and demand a change in position.
“The noble inspiration” of the Games “is being undermined by the host government’s efforts to prevent a broad international investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic,” they wrote.
They accused Beijing of “destroying biological samples, hiding records (and) arresting Chinese journalists”.
– Protect witnesses –
They also denounced the impediment for Chinese scientists “to say or write about the origins of the pandemic without prior authorization from the government”.
In light of this, they urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to create a “witness protection” system to facilitate the sharing of information about the origin of the pandemic by scientists and experts in China and elsewhere.
More than two years since the SARS-CoV-2 virus was detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, covid-19 has already killed nearly 5.7 million people worldwide, according to official data, although the real number is believed to be true. be several times larger.
A team of international experts from the WHO went to Wuhan in January 2021 to investigate the emergence of the virus, alongside their Chinese counterparts.
– Leakage theory –
In its report, that mission noted that the most likely hypothesis is that the virus passed from bats to humans via an intermediate animal.
They called the theory that the virus escaped from a laboratory “extremely unlikely”. However, this research was heavily criticized for a lack of transparency and for not seriously testing the lab leak theory.
The WHO has formed a new team of scientists to reactivate research and detect other pathogens that could cause pandemics.
But Beijing has opposed calls for further investigations and has denied access to information from Wuhan labs that could help confirm or rule out theories about the virus.
The open letter warned that “without a plan for a broad and unrestricted international investigation into the origins of Covid-19, everyone on Earth and future generations will be at greater and unnecessary risk from future pandemics.”
(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358228787_Allowing_a_Comprehensive_International_Investigation_of_Pandemic_Origins_would_be_a_True_Expression_of_Olympic_Values)
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