The World Health Organization has highlighted that China possesses additional data that could illuminate the origins of COVID-19 and has urged Beijing to share all relevant information without delay. This call for transparency has been reported by MedicalXpress and has sparked renewed attention to the ongoing search for answers about how the pandemic began.
More than three years after the initial reports of COVID-19, scientific and public discussion remains divided on the virus’s origin. The laboratory-origin hypothesis has not been conclusively ruled out, and researchers continue to evaluate all credible scenarios with rigor and care.
In late February, new observations surfaced suggesting that raccoon dogs, animals known to harbor and transmit coronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2, were present on markets in Wuhan at the time the outbreak was first documented in humans. Genome analyses conducted by independent researchers have tended to support the possibility that the virus originated through natural transmission from animals. However, many specialists stress that definitive proof depends on access to comprehensive data, including materials from early laboratory inspections in January and February 2020. The absence of full data makes it challenging to settle the discussion with certainty.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 technical lead, emphasized that without complete information and data, a precise assessment cannot be offered. She noted that the current evidence does not yet provide a conclusive answer regarding the pandemic’s starting point, underscoring the need for openness to enable a thorough evaluation.
The World Health Organization has repeatedly underscored the importance of uncovering the origins of the virus as part of preventing future outbreaks. It has pointed to the significant global mortality and the broader social and economic costs of the pandemic, arguing that transparent data sharing by scientists and institutions constitutes a moral obligation. Data from early 2020, including laboratory inspection results, could help scientists reconstruct the chain of events and refine understanding of how similar pathogens might emerge. In this context, international collaboration and timely disclosure are seen as essential steps for strengthening global health security and preparedness for future emergencies, especially for nations most affected by the crisis and for communities seeking better protection against emerging infectious threats.