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
Researchers Discover a Hidden Vitamin D Problem That Persists Year-Round
A new study suggests that some groups may not experience the expected seasonal boost in vitamin D levels, even during the sunniest months of the year. Many people assume that spending more time outdoors [...]
Researchers Solve the Mystery Behind a Billion-Dollar Dental Implant Disease
Researchers have uncovered why a common and costly dental implant infection often resists antibiotics. Dental implants have helped tens of millions of people regain a full set of stable, functional teeth, something traditional dentures [...]
Nanoparticles inspired by lung fluid improve therapies targeting respiratory system
The CIC biomaGUNE Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials has developed pulmonary surfactant nanoparticles (the blend of lipids and proteins that line the alveoli and enables breathing), which are encapsulated [...]
Scientists Finally Uncover How a “Forever Chemical” Causes Birth Defects
PFDA, a PFAS “forever chemical,” can cause craniofacial birth defects by disrupting retinoic acid regulation during fetal development, revealing the first clear molecular mechanism behind the link. Researchers have long linked perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), [...]
Scientists Have Discovered These Deadly Parasites Are Secretly Swapping DNA
Leishmania parasites appear to evolve through widespread genetic exchange, reshaping assumptions about how they adapt and spread. A parasite long thought to spread mostly by cloning itself may be far more genetically dynamic than [...]
Stanford’s Revolutionary New Microscope Reveals Living Cells in Stunning Detail
Stanford researchers have developed a microscope that can show how nanostructures interact inside living cells at the highest resolution achieved so far. The view into living cells just got better. Stanford researchers have merged [...]
What Bundibugyo Ebola vaccines and treatments are under development
By Mariam Sunny and Jennifer Rigby May 29 (Reuters) – Global health authorities are racing to identify medical options to help contain an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, linked to the [...]
Why More People in Their 30s Are Suddenly Getting Colon Cancer
A major Swiss study found that colorectal cancer is becoming increasingly common in adults under 50, even as rates decline in older age groups. Researchers in Switzerland have identified a concerning trend: while colorectal [...]
Researchers Compare MS Models to Human Tissue in Search for Better Therapies
Researchers identified key differences between two widely used multiple sclerosis models, showing how each can better study myelin damage, immune responses, and repair. The findings may improve efforts to develop treatments that restore lost [...]
Scientists Discover Genetic “Off Switch” That Supercharges CAR T Cells Against Cancer
A new study reveals a possible way to make CAR T-cell therapy more durable and effective by targeting a single gene-regulating protein. CAR T-cell therapy is widely seen as a breakthrough in personalized cancer [...]
New Vitamin B12-Based Therapy Could Change How Brain Cancer Is Treated
Researchers have identified a vitamin B12–based compound that appears capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier and selectively accumulating in glioblastoma tissue. For decades, one of the biggest problems in brain cancer treatment has had [...]
Simple Fiber Supplement Cuts Knee Arthritis Pain in Just 6 Weeks, Study Finds
A daily inulin supplement may help reduce knee osteoarthritis pain while revealing a possible link between gut health, muscle function, and pain sensitivity. For millions of people living with knee osteoarthritis, managing chronic pain [...]
This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes
Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention. More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which [...]
Ebola, hantavirus: Is the world prepared for the next pandemic?
Funding cuts to health research and a growing antivaccine movement are making it harder than ever to respond to viruses. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that an Ebola outbreak in Uganda and [...]
May 2026 Healthcare News and Trends: Market Signals That Matter
Artificial intelligence is dominating headlines, telehealth has settled into a new normal, and digital health continues to promise transformation. However, much of what is being discussed in healthcare today reflects potential rather than reality. [...]
Scientists Rewire Donor Stem Cells To Outsmart Aggressive Blood Cancers
Researchers have tested a gene-edited stem cell transplant designed to shield healthy blood-forming cells from powerful cancer-targeting immunotherapies. For patients with highly aggressive blood cancers, stem cell transplantation can offer a rare chance at [...]
