China blocks WHO team on way to probe origins of COVID-19 pandemic, says not just a 'visa issue'
4 years ago

China blocks WHO team on way to probe origins of COVID-19 pandemic, says not just a 'visa issue'

Firstpost  

An expert mission to China to probe the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic was in disarray Wednesday after Beijing denied entry to the World Health Organization team at the last minute despite months of painstaking negotiations. But with a number of the team already in transit, China denied them entry visas, prodding WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, to say he was “very disappointed”. US President Donald Trump called the pandemic the “China virus”. “To ensure the work of the international expert team in China goes smoothly, we have to carry out necessary procedures and make relevant arrangements.” Talks were continuing over “the specific date and specific arrangement of the expert group’s visit,” Hua added, despite the months of negotiations already spent on setting up the trip.

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History of this topic

China downplays reports of huge HMPV flu outbreak, assures travel across country is safe
1 week ago

China downplays reports of huge HMPV flu outbreak, assures travel across country is safe

India TV News  

China on Friday played down reports of a massive outbreak of flu in the country overwhelming hospitals, saying that cases of the respiratory diseases which occur during the winter were less severe this year compared to last year. "Respiratory infections tend to peak during the winter season in the northern hemisphere," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told the media …

Shared most Covid data: China's defence as WHO says Beijing's 'moral imperative'
1 week, 3 days ago

Shared most Covid data: China's defence as WHO says Beijing's 'moral imperative'

India Today  

The Chinese government on Tuesday said that it has shared the most Covid-19 data and research findings with the international community and stressed that investigations into the origins of coronavirus should be conducted in other countries as well. Beijing's remarks came after the World Health Organisation urged the country to share data on the origins of the pandemic, five years …

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data
1 week, 3 days ago

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data

Al Jazeera  

Beijing insists it has shared information on the coronavirus ‘without holding anything back’. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” The WHO recounted how on December 31, 2019, its country office in China picked up a media statement from health authorities in the central city of Wuhan concerning …

WHO urges China to share Covid origins data, five years on from pandemic’s emergence
1 week, 3 days ago

WHO urges China to share Covid origins data, five years on from pandemic’s emergence

CNN  

Hong Kong CNN — The World Health Organization has urged China to share data to help understand the origins of Covid-19, five years on from the start of the pandemic in the Chinese city of Wuhan. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” China’s Foreign Ministry defended the …

Covid very likely came from a Chinese lab leak and there was 'obviously' a cover-up by Beijing, British expert says
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Covid very likely came from a Chinese lab leak and there was 'obviously' a cover-up by Beijing, British expert says

Daily Mail  

Covid most likely came from a lab leak in China and its origins were 'obviously' the subject of a cover-up by Beijing, a top British epidemiologist has said. Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan, central China, with differing theories among scientists over whether it could have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or a wet market in the region. Covid-19 emerged …

Trump claims COVID-19 started when 'dust flew in from China'
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Trump claims COVID-19 started when 'dust flew in from China'

Raw Story  

Former President Donald Trump blamed COVID-19 on "dust" that "flew in from China." "In terms of overall, I think I did an amazing job with COVID," the former president insisted. "I never got great credit on the fighting of the China virus, which is COVID, but we call it the China virus because we like to be accurate," he continued. …

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall
3 months, 3 weeks ago

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It is beyond “reasonable doubt” that the Covid-19 pandemic originated in …

Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest
8 months, 1 week ago

Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest. He added that he is negotiating a plan to relocate the lab in a way that doesn’t disrupt his team’s work with the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, …

Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab
8 months, 1 week ago

Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of lab

Associated Press  

SHANGHAI — The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China staged a sit-in protest outside his lab after authorities locked him out of the facility — a sign of Beijing’s continuing pressure on scientists conducting research on the coronavirus. AP AUDIO: Chinese scientist who first published COVID sequence stages protest after being locked out of …

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The hunt for the origins of COVID-19 has gone dark in China, the victim of political infighting after a series of stalled and thwarted attempts to find the source of the virus that killed millions and paralyzed the world for months. In a faxed statement, China’s Foreign Ministry defended China’s handling of research into the origins, saying the …

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic
11 months ago

China stands alone in its attitude towards the pandemic

Hindustan Times  

The omicron variant of COVID-19 poses enormous challenges for governments. In America, cases are at three times their previous peak in January 2021, hospitals are as busy as they have ever been and deaths have risen by 40% in two weeks to 1,800 per day. Covid In China: Security guards wearing personal protective equipment amid the Covid-19 pandemic sit at …

Revealed: US and China sought to create virus in 2018 similar to Covid
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Revealed: US and China sought to create virus in 2018 similar to Covid

Daily Mail  

Bombshell new documents shed light on a shady 2018 project between US and Chinese scientists to create a novel virus with the same rare features seen in Covid. In initial proposals for DEFUSE, the lab work was to be done in a biosafety-level 2 lab, which researchers said would appeal to federal grant-makers as 'highly cost effective' despite the fewer …

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18
1 year ago

China’s Management of Covid-19 Crisis: A Case Study in Disinformation and Censorship - News18

News 18  

Censorship, surveillance, and authoritarianism have become synonyms with China in recent years. The court observed that had the government officials heeded to the warnings from the detained healthcare workers and adopted precautionary measures than taking punitive measures by labelling them as rumourmonger, “it would’ve meant we could better control the coronavirus today.” Dr Li contracted covid19 on January 8, 2020, …

‘Not by novel virus’: What China said on ‘mysterious pneumonia’
1 year, 1 month ago

‘Not by novel virus’: What China said on ‘mysterious pneumonia’

Hindustan Times  

A pneumonia outbreak in China has alerted the world including the World Health Organization which sought more information about the situation from the country. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia On Sunday, China's health ministry asked local authorities to increase the number of fever clinics amid the latest crisis. "Efforts should be made to increase the …

China reports no unusual or novel pathogens in respiratory illnesses upsurge
1 year, 1 month ago

China reports no unusual or novel pathogens in respiratory illnesses upsurge

Deccan Chronicle  

BEIJING: China has reported no 'unusual or novel pathogens' in respiratory illnesses spreading in the north of the country, the World Health Organization said Thursday. The WHO said Thursday that Chinese authorities had responded, advising "that there has been no detection of any unusual or novel pathogens or unusual clinical presentations, including in Beijing and Liaoning." It was a matter, …

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO

Firstpost  

Since mid-October 2023, the World Health Organization has been monitoring data from Chinese surveillance systems showing an increase in respiratory illness in children in northern China China has reiterated that no unusual or new pathogens have been detected in the upsurge in child respiratory illnesses in the north, the WHO said on Thursday after putting pressure on Beijing for detailed …

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please
1 year, 1 month ago

China's pneumonia scare: Transparency please

Live Mint  

China, where covid broke out in November 2019, is in the spotlight again. The World Health Organization has asked the country for details on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. In a recent statement, the WHO noted an increase in influenza-like ailments compared to the same autumn of the past three years in China’s …

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO

Salon  

An outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China has sparked alarm, but the sudden rise in sickness is not related to a new virus, according to Chinese health authorities. So far, the data suggests that there’s nothing out of the ordinary, but both the WHO and China have been criticized in the past for not being entirely transparent about the COVID-19 …

On China pneumonia outbreak, scientists caution to not press ‘pandemic panic button’
1 year, 1 month ago

On China pneumonia outbreak, scientists caution to not press ‘pandemic panic button’

Hindustan Times  

Leading scientists urged caution over fears of another pandemic on Thursday after the World Health Organization requested more information from China on a rise of respiratory illnesses and pneumonia clusters among children. The standard wording of the alert echoed the first-ever notice about what would become COVID-19, sent on Dec. 30 2019: "Undiagnosed pneumonia - China." "I am not going …

WHO asks China for more data on respiratory illnesses outbreak
1 year, 1 month ago

WHO asks China for more data on respiratory illnesses outbreak

The Hindu  

The World Health Organization has asked China for more data on respiratory illnesses spreading in the north of the country, but Beijing offered no public comment on Thursday. "WHO has made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children," the UN health body said in a statement …

What is the mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China?
1 year, 1 month ago

What is the mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China?

Al Jazeera  

The WHO has asked China for more information on the undiagnosed respiratory illness that has spiked since October 2023. As China experiences its first winter without strict COVID-19 restrictions since the outbreak of the pandemic three years ago, a wave of respiratory illnesses is sweeping across the country. On Wednesday, the WHO asked China to release information on the recent …

Is COVID making a return to China this winter?
1 year, 1 month ago

Is COVID making a return to China this winter?

Firstpost  

China’s leading respiratory illness expert Zhong Nanshan has warned of a minor COVID-19 surge in the winter and urged the elderly and vulnerable populations to get vaccinated as soon as possible Concerned about an increase of COVID-19 infections in the current winter season, Chinese experts have issued an alert and advised vaccination for vulnerable and old groups. The Chinese Centre …

China on ALERT over likely COVID-19 relapse ahead of winter
1 year, 1 month ago

China on ALERT over likely COVID-19 relapse ahead of winter

India TV News  

COVID-19 alert: Ahead of the winter season, an alert has been sounded across China about the relapse of COVID-19 infections and experts have asked elderly and vulnerable populations to get vaccinated. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention showed that a total of 209 new severe COVID-19 cases and 24 deaths caused by COVID-19 were reported across the country …

WHO chief urges China for ‘full access’ to solve origins of COVID-19
1 year, 3 months ago

WHO chief urges China for ‘full access’ to solve origins of COVID-19

Op India  

The Chief of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged Beijing to grant ‘full access’ and offer more information on the origins of COVID-19, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Tedros said, “We’re pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings — to cooperate. Speaking with Financial Times, …

‘Went to meet Xi Jinping but…’: WHO chief urges China for ‘full access’ on Covid
1 year, 3 months ago

‘Went to meet Xi Jinping but…’: WHO chief urges China for ‘full access’ on Covid

Hindustan Times  

The World Health Organisation's chief urged China to offer more information on the origins of Covid-19 and as the health body is ready to send a second team to probe the matter, it was reported. “We’re pressing China to give full access, and we are asking countries to raise it during their bilateral meetings — to co-operate,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus …

We need China’s cooperation to understand covid: former WHO chief scientist
1 year, 8 months ago

We need China’s cooperation to understand covid: former WHO chief scientist

Live Mint  

Cooperation from China, including access to sites, data, blood samples, and animal farms in the country, is required to determine the origin of the covid-19 virus, according to former World Health Organization chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan. Swaminathan emphasized the need to address long covid symptoms, particularly among those with high-risk conditions such as hypertension. During every covid wave, when people …

Learn from missteps in Covid’s early days
1 year, 8 months ago

Learn from missteps in Covid’s early days

Hindustan Times  

Covid-19 is no longer a public health emergency, the World Health Organization declared last week, roughly 1,200 days after it first learnt of a new coronavirus spreading through Wuhan, China. Still, WHO’s word is a strong determinant in global health discourse and on this count, the agency fell short in its mission, especially in the early days of the pandemic. …

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over
1 year, 8 months ago

China to remain alert even as WHO declares COVID-19 global emergency over

Firstpost  

A top Chinese health official said that despite the World Health Organisation ending the worldwide emergency designation for COVID-19, the virus is still dangerous and China will continue to monitor it while boosting vaccination rates among high-risk groups. According to Liang Wannian, head of China’s COVID-19 response expert group under the National Health Commission, the warning status being lifted by …

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search
1 year, 9 months ago

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search
1 year, 9 months ago

China health officials lash out at WHO, defend virus search

LA Times  

Shen Hongbing, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, speaks at a press conference on the origins of COVID-19 at the State Council Information Office in Beijing on Saturday. Chinese health officials defended their search for the source of the COVID-19 virus and lashed out Saturday at the World Health Organization after its leader said Beijing …

'Until China shares all data on COVID origin, all hypotheses remained on table': WHO Chief
1 year, 9 months ago

'Until China shares all data on COVID origin, all hypotheses remained on table': WHO Chief

India TV News  

The World Health Organization chief has again insisted China share proper data on the origin of the COVID-19 virus and said until it shares relevant data, it remains a top mystery for the world. WHO chief urges China to share data "Without full access to the information that China has, all hypotheses are on the table. Further, he expressed grave …

COVID-19 origins | GISAID U-turn adds to confusion over ‘new’ Chinese data
1 year, 9 months ago

COVID-19 origins | GISAID U-turn adds to confusion over ‘new’ Chinese data

The Hindu  

In an unusual turn of events, the scientists who recently announced what they said was “compelling” evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a ‘natural’ origin rather than being the product of a lab experiment gone awry were banned by GISAID from using the database that contained the genomic information they used for their study – only for the latter to …

China’s rushed exit from zero-Covid may have cost hundreds of thousands of lives
1 year, 9 months ago

China’s rushed exit from zero-Covid may have cost hundreds of thousands of lives

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It wasn’t a sound public health decision at all,” …

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
1 year, 9 months ago

Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives

LA Times  

An elderly patient uses a ventilator in the hallway of the emergency ward in Beijing in January. Chinese state media claimed the decision to open up was based on “scientific analysis and shrewd calculation,” and “by no means impulsive.” But in reality, China’s ruling Communist Party ignored repeated efforts by top medical experts to kick-start exit plans until it was …

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19
1 year, 9 months ago

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19

The Hindu  

The World Health Organisation has accused China of withholding information and data that may throw light on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has asked why such information was not shared three years ago. GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source established in 2008 that provides open access to genomic data of influenza viruses and the coronavirus …

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday
1 year, 10 months ago

U.S. to relax COVID testing rules for travelers from China as early as Friday

LA Times  

The Biden administration is preparing to relax COVID-19 testing restrictions for travelers from China as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision. The restrictions were put in place Dec. 28 and took effect Jan. 5 amid the surge in China after the government sharply eased pandemic restrictions and as U.S. health officials expressed concerns that their …

Come clean on Covid origins, says WHO as lab leak theory gains momentum
1 year, 10 months ago

Come clean on Covid origins, says WHO as lab leak theory gains momentum

India Today  

The WHO on Friday urged all countries to reveal what they know about the origins of Covid-19, following US claims of a Chinese lab leak and furious denials from Beijing. FBI director Christopher Wray told Fox News television on Tuesday that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had now assessed the source of the Covid-19 pandemic was "most likely a …

Is London silent on lab leak of COVID19 so as not to upset China?
1 year, 10 months ago

Is London silent on lab leak of COVID19 so as not to upset China?

Firstpost  

“It is important that there is some transparency, whether it be someone from MI5 or MI6 or whether it be a minister, and I think it would be beneficial to set out some of the intelligence on what they feel happened,” says Tory MP London: British intelligence officers came under pressure on Wednesday to divulge information regarding Covid-19’s origins and …

Lab leak ‘most likely’ led to Covid pandemic, FBI director says
1 year, 10 months ago

Lab leak ‘most likely’ led to Covid pandemic, FBI director says

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy FBI director Christopher Wray has said a laboratory leak in …

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory
1 year, 10 months ago

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory

Firstpost  

Beijing: For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Responding to comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the involvement of the U.S. intelligence community was evidence enough of the “politicization of origin …

China says \'lab leak\' claims hurt US credibility
1 year, 10 months ago

China says \'lab leak\' claims hurt US credibility

Deccan Chronicle  

BEIJING: Beijing accused Washington on Wednesday of harming its own credibility after a top US intelligence official said his agency believed the pandemic "most likely" caused by a laboratory incident in Wuhan, China. FBI Director Christopher Wray told Fox News on Tuesday that the Bureau has now assessed the source of Covid-19 was "most likely a potential lab incident in …

Covid-19 'most likely' leaked from Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, says FBI director
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid-19 'most likely' leaked from Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, says FBI director

Firstpost  

Washington: Covid-19 pandemic “most likely” originated from a Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. ‘Covid origin likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan’ In an interview to Fox News, Wray said: “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.” …

Covid 'most likely' leaked from China-controlled lab: FBI director's assertion
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid 'most likely' leaked from China-controlled lab: FBI director's assertion

Hindustan Times  

The Covid virus most likely leaked from a lab in Wuhan in China, FBI director Christopher Wray said. "The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Christopher Wray told Fox News in an interview. ”And that's unfortunate for everybody," he added, saying that the …

FBI director says COVID leaked from Wuhan lab after 'most likely a potential lab incident'
1 year, 10 months ago

FBI director says COVID leaked from Wuhan lab after 'most likely a potential lab incident'

Daily Mail  

FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed the agency's conclusion that the COVID pandemic was probably the result of a lab leak in Wuhan, China. FBI Director Christopher Wray commented for the first time that the FBI concluded that COVID originated from a lab in Wuhan, China Wray said the virus was likely the result of a lab leak and that the …

Covid-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in China, tweets FBI
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in China, tweets FBI

India TV News  

FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan even as China on Tuesday pushed back at renewed suggestions that the pandemic could have been the result of a lab leak, saying it has been “open and transparent” in the search for the virus’ origins. "FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the …

FBI director says China laboratory leak was likely COVID source
1 year, 10 months ago

FBI director says China laboratory leak was likely COVID source

Al Jazeera  

FBI Director Christopher Wray accuses China of thwarting efforts to identify the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak. FBI Director Christopher Wray says his agency has assessed that a leak from a laboratory in Wuhan, China, was the likely cause of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wray’s comments follow a Wall Street Journal report on Sunday that the US Energy Department had assessed …

China says it’s been ‘open and transparent’ on COVID origins
1 year, 10 months ago

China says it’s been ‘open and transparent’ on COVID origins

Associated Press  

BEIJING — China on Tuesday pushed back at renewed suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic could have been the result of a lab leak, saying it has been “open and transparent” in the search for the virus’ origins. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy assessed with “low confidence” that the pandemic that was first detected in the central Chinese city of …

China says it's been 'open and transparent' on COVID origins
1 year, 10 months ago

China says it's been 'open and transparent' on COVID origins

The Hindu  

China on February 28, 2023 said it has been “open and transparent” in the search for the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and dismissed U.S. criticism as politicising the issue. China had “shared the most data and research results on virus tracing and made important contributions to global virus tracing research," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning Mao told reporters at …

No definitive conclusion on COVID-19 origin theory: White House
1 year, 10 months ago

No definitive conclusion on COVID-19 origin theory: White House

The Hindu  

There is no definitive conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab in China, the White House has said. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby’s remarks came following a report that the U.S. Energy Department has concluded the virus most likely leaked from a lab in China. The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 26, citing a …

Beijing needs to be ‘more honest about what happened in Wuhan’, says US envoy to China
1 year, 10 months ago

Beijing needs to be ‘more honest about what happened in Wuhan’, says US envoy to China

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors …

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