Recordings reveal WHO’s analysis of pandemic in private

GENEVA — As the coronavirus exploded around the globe, scientists at the World Health Organization were sometimes privately frustrated by the mistakes made by some of their top donor countries but reluctant to say so publicly, leaked recordings of internal meetings show. Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19, noted that the agency lacked “enough detail to say what has worked and what hasn’t.” WHO scientists soon grew concerned about Japan. Dr. Thomas Grein, WHO’s chief of acute events management team, said they had failed to glean much information from their Japanese counterparts, calling it a “very, very sensitive issue.” Although WHO was keenly aware the situation was deteriorating, scientists said the outbreak could help in understanding COVID-19 transmission. Yet on March 8, Tedros tweeted that “the government & the people of Italy are taking bold, courageous steps aimed at slowing the spread of the #coronavirus.” Lawrence Gostin, director of the WHO Collaborating Center on Public Health Law and Human Rights at Georgetown University, said WHO should be obligated to report when countries are not sharing data, saying it was dangerous for the agency to be “flying blind.” WHO also complained in private about Western countries hoarding scarce pandemic supplies. Ryan described Britain’s pandemic strategy as “problematic” after hearing the U.K.’s chief scientific officer say the country was aiming for herd immunity.