China has withheld information about the possible natural origin of the virus. The WHO calls the lack of transparency “inexcusable”.
The Huanan market in the middle of the metropolis of Wuhan was at the center of the first corona outbreak: “The cases that are known are all around this market,” says Bernese virologist Volker Thiel. Since the beginning of the pandemic, he has been researching the coronavirus.
Accidental data discovery, great gain in knowledge
Now so-called environmental samples have appeared. The genetic data that can be read from these samples were available online for a short time on the research server GISAID, uploaded by Chinese researchers from the local epidemic institute CCDC. The French researcher Florence Débarre discovered it on the server rather by chance, and then evaluated it with colleagues.
I would be surprised if China itself does not want to know where the infections come from.
These are samples that were taken three years ago, right after the outbreak of the pandemic, in Huanan Market: swabs from walls, cages, in drains, so-called environmental samples. Now it is clear: China has been withholding this revealing data all along and from the world.
The WHO now reacts unusually clearly in the journal “Science”, calls for more transparency, and condemns the lack of it. “I can imagine that the WHO feels led around by the nose,” says Thiel. And further: “It would surprise me if China does not want to know for itself where the infections come from.”
You still don’t know everything
China is a modern research country and has the technical capabilities and knowledge to search for information in the right place with the right methods. From the point of view of virology, it is almost a matter of course where it is worth looking. Thiel says: “I can’t know for sure, but I think they have taken other samples besides these that we don’t know about yet.”
On live animals at the market, for example, on farms in the outskirts of the city. Thiel: “And if there is a suspicion that the virus was on certain farms, how did it get there?” Connections to wildlife must be clarified, Thiel continued.
I can imagine that the WHO is very disappointed.
The WHO now emphasizes, at least between the lines, that China can hardly pretend that there are no relevant samples at all these obvious places and times. “It’s unusually clear. And I can also imagine that the WHO is very disappointed. It was probably thought that China was relatively open,” says Thiel. However, this does not seem to be the case.
“The virus was there”
The WHO also emphasizes that key details are still missing about the work being done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The call for China to cooperate transparently with other countries and the WHO is therefore aimed at both possible starting points for the pandemic: the market and the laboratory.
The current state of knowledge, however, can be summarized as follows: “We have clear evidence that the virus was on this market. We also know that the animals that are susceptible to the virus were also there,” says virologist Thiel.
News
Scientists Discover DNA “Flips” That Supercharge Evolution
In Lake Malawi, hundreds of species of cichlid fish have evolved with astonishing speed, offering scientists a rare opportunity to study how biodiversity arises. Researchers have identified segments of “flipped” DNA that may allow fish to adapt rapidly [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Scientists Discover Why Some COVID Survivors Still Can’t Taste Food Years Later
A new study provides the first direct biological evidence explaining why some people continue to experience taste loss long after recovering from COVID-19. Researchers have uncovered specific biological changes in taste buds that could help [...]
Catching COVID significantly raises the risk of developing kidney disease, researchers find
Catching Covid significantly raises the risk of developing deadly kidney disease, research has shown. The virus was found to increase the chances that patients will develop the incurable condition by around 50 per cent. [...]
New Toothpaste Stops Gum Disease Without Harming Healthy Bacteria
Researchers have developed a targeted approach to combat periodontitis without disrupting the natural balance of the oral microbiome. The innovation could reshape how gum disease is treated while preserving beneficial bacteria. The human mouth [...]
Plastic Without End: Are We Polluting the Planet for Eternity?
The Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for the elimination of plastic pollution by 2030. If that goal has been clearly set, why have meaningful measures that create real change still not been implemented? [...]
Scientists Rewire Natural Killer Cells To Attack Cancer Faster and Harder
Researchers tested new CAR designs in NK-92 cells and found the modified cells killed tumor cells more effectively, showing stronger anti-cancer activity. Researchers at the Ribeirão Preto Blood Center and the Center for Cell-Based [...]
New “Cellular” Target Could Transform How We Treat Alzheimer’s Disease
A new study from researchers highlights an unexpected player in Alzheimer’s disease: aging astrocytes. Senescent astrocytes have been identified as a major contributor to Alzheimer’s progression. The cells lose protective functions and fuel inflammation, particularly in [...]
Treating a Common Dental Infection… Effects That Extend Far Beyond the Mouth
Successful root canal treatment may help lower inflammation associated with heart disease and improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Treating an infected tooth with a successful root canal procedure may do more than relieve [...]
Microplastics found in prostate tumors in small study
In a new study, researchers found microplastics deep inside prostate cancer tumors, raising more questions about the role the ubiquitous pollutants play in public health. The findings — which come from a small study of 10 [...]
All blue-eyed people have this one thing in common
All Blue-Eyed People Have This One Thing In Common Blue Eyes Aren’t Random—Research Traces Them Back to One Prehistoric Human It sounds like a myth at first — something you’d hear in a folklore [...]
Scientists reveal how exercise protects the brain from Alzheimer’s
Researchers at UC San Francisco have identified a biological process that may explain why exercise sharpens thinking and memory. Their findings suggest that physical activity strengthens the brain's built in defense system, helping protect [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
Deadly Pancreatic Cancer Found To “Wire Itself” Into the Body’s Nerves
A newly discovered link between pancreatic cancer and neural signaling reveals a promising drug target that slows tumor growth by blocking glutamate uptake. Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly cancers, and scientists are [...]
This Simple Brain Exercise May Protect Against Dementia for 20 Years
A long-running study following thousands of older adults suggests that a relatively brief period of targeted brain training may have effects that last decades. Starting in the late 1990s, close to 3,000 older adults [...]
Scientists Crack a 50-Year Tissue Mystery With Major Cancer Implications
Researchers have resolved a 50-year-old scientific mystery by identifying the molecular mechanism that allows tissues to regenerate after severe damage. The discovery could help guide future treatments aimed at reducing the risk of cancer [...]
