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Original title: WHO experts publicly revealed that China did so much
[文/观察者网 熊超然]Last week, the research work of the World Health Organization (WHO) expert group on the traceability of the new corona virus in China was completed. Members of the think tank not only praised the transparency displayed by China, but also by some Western media and politicians. They have conspiracy theories to smear China about the epidemic. It has also been refuted one by one.
However, the “New York Times” and other Western media have begun to exaggerate fake news such as “China obstructs investigation” and “China refuses to share data.” These reports have attracted many WHO experts to refute the rumors and anger. Think tank Peter Daszak even tweeted on February 13: “The New York Times is really cheeky!”
A day later, the angry “New York Times” published an interview with Dassak on the 14th. This time they honestly published the full text of the interview in question and answer form, and Dasak himself also posted it again on Twitter to express your approval. In this interview, Dasak revealed to the Western media some information that had never been made public before. For example, China acted quickly and professionally in the early stages of the epidemic, having already conducted in-depth and comprehensive research and studies and collected a large number of samples.
He said that experts from the WHO and China have solved several hypotheses and currently believe that the virus is more likely to have originated in animals. He also emphasized again that it is extremely unlikely that there is a so-called “virus lab leakage virus”. Dasak also bluntly said that future research work on virus traceability must be on a scientific path and must not get caught in a political quagmire.
Screenshot of the New York Times reportChina’s work in the early stage of the epidemic opened the eyes of WHO experts
During the interview, the “New York Times” directly asked Dasak if he had obtained previously unknown information in the virus traceability research work.
Dasak said that from the first day the WHO expert team arrived and started work, the new data and information they saw was not available outside of China. For example, who are the vendors at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, where their supply chain comes from, and what contacts the first batch of confirmed patients has.
He also praised the Chinese staff for their high degree of cooperation and outstanding performance. “When you ask for more information, Chinese scientists will go and look for it. A few days later, they will do an analysis, so that we can get new information. All of these are very valuable. During our work, we cannot reveal too much, trying not to destroy all the traceability research work “.
Dasak pointed out that, in fact, when the South China seafood market in Wuhan closed on December 31, 2019 / January 1, 2020, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention sent a team of scientists to try to find clues there. He described China’s actions at the time as “a very extensive investigation.” At the time, China collected surface samples from almost every place in the market. In the initial stage, 500 samples were collected and many of them tested positive for the virus. Sampling samples also include some meat and animal carcasses.
At the beginning of the epidemic, Chinese scientists finally completed more than 900 swab samples on the market, which was a huge workload. In addition, they also collected samples of sewer pipes and tried to find bats in the vents. They also captured some animals at the market, including stray cats, mice, and even a weasel. They also took samples of live snakes, turtles and frogs that are sold in the market.
“For me, this (research information) really opened my eyes,” Dasak said.
On February 3, Dasak, a member of the WHO expert group, visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology.Many experts believe that wild animals remain an important chain of transmission.
Dassak revealed that rabbit meat sold on the market and traced rabbit farms can be one of the important links in the chain of transmission, and ferrets and weasels can also be virus-carrying animals. Also, vendors selling wild animals in the market have their suppliers from southern China, and there may be other virus-carrying animals that have entered the market. For example, the virus carried by bats in Yunnan is very similar to the new coronavirus.
He presented that in this traceability study, the Chinese team also tested some frozen animal samples stored in the South China seafood market in Wuhan at the initial stage of the epidemic, and the results were all negative. Although these are only a small part of the animals frozen in the refrigerator, the WHO expert team does not know what else is sold there, but the previous two clues are very important.
For a batch of confirmed patients in the initial stage of the epidemic, Dasak particularly emphasized that they are not related to the South China seafood market of Wuhan, but some early patients were also found to be related to other markets. These need to be more coordinated. by Chinese scientists.Research work.
He said that from the perspective of studying humans, it is very important to find early patients and collect serum samples, which helps to find the chain of transmission of the virus. From the animals’ perspective, the next step should be to track the farms the animals come from and the farmers there. If traces are found in southern China, they should also focus on tracking the border areas with neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, especially in areas where wild bat activity is prevalent, the virus may have spread and flowed. there.
Dasak revealed that the WHO expert team and the Chinese team sat down to discuss various hypotheses on the last day of work, and the most consistent insight they got was: wild animals, that is, the new coronavirus is transmitted through the chain of wild animals. He entered Wuhan.
WHO experts recalled the “trip to Wuhan” and contrasted China and the US.
According to the New York Times, Dassak, a UK-born zoologist, has worked and lived in the United States for a long time. He is also the president of the American Ecological Health Alliance. He has long been concerned about the relationship between viruses and animals. He has worked with the Wuhan Institute of Virology. They have done many cooperations.
After finishing his research on the traceability of the virus in China, Dasak returned to New York and recalled his “trip to Wuhan” in an exclusive interview.
Dassak said China originally valued “dining table culture” and would consider it “very impolite and rude” if they didn’t eat together. But this time they came to China and spent two weeks in isolation. I ate alone in the room and did not have dinner with the Chinese.
He described the journey to Wuhan this time as a “very difficult, tense and exciting” journey.
Dassak also compared the current epidemic prevention work of China and the United States in the interview. He said that after his arrival in China, all procedures, from wearing protective equipment to receiving virus tests and receiving isolation, were very strict and complete; But when he returned to New York, it was a completely different experience than in China. They notified him that he must be isolated, and no one knocked on the door and told him that “he should stay home.”
On February 1, the WHO expert team went to the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention.A day ago, The New York Times infuriated many experts
It is worth mentioning that the day before the New York Times published this interview with Dassak, the media had been severely reprimanded by the WHO expert.
On February 9, after the WHO expert team completed the virus traceability investigation in China, it held a global press conference with Chinese experts that afternoon. At the press conference, both parties agreed that there is no evidence that the virus has spread in Wuhan before December 2019, and the hypothesis that the virus lab leaked the spread of the virus is extremely unlikely. WHO experts have also repeatedly affirmed China’s help and its open and transparent attitude towards them during the investigation.
Obviously, the results of such investigations did not allow some American media and politicians to get what they wanted. US State Department spokesman Ned Price could not hide his “sour gas” at a press conference on February 9 local time. Indirect attacks to discredit China and the WHO expert team.
On February 12, the “New York Times” even quoted the “statements” of various WHO experts, stating that China “refuses to share raw data that could make the world more aware of the origin of the new crown. “. After the report was released, many experts cited in the article successively published articles to refute rumors, claiming that their views were distorted and criticizing the New York Times for its actions.
Dassak and Thea Fisher, director of the Center for Clinical Research at North Sealand Hospital in Denmark, are the WHO experts mentioned in the article. Fisher said on Twitter that what they said was deliberately distorted, overshadowing important scientific work.
Then Dasak responded to Fisher and said, “Listen, listen! We spent time and reporters explaining the key findings of our sold-out work in China for a month, but what our colleagues said still doesn’t work. It was really disappointing to be wasted out of context. by (the media) to compile their own report before the start. “New York Times,” You are so shameless! “Since then, Dassak’s anger has also been answered by other experts.
Screenshot of Dasak TwitterRegarding the continuing discrediting of the United States, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated at a regular press conference on February 10 that the Chinese government has provided strong support and assistance for experts from the WHO come to China to conduct scientific research on global traceability. positive feedback on this. China will continue to adhere to an open and transparent attitude, and will maintain close communication and cooperation with WHO on the global traceability of the virus.
Wang Wenbin pointed out that there are many clues, reports and studies that indicate that the epidemic has appeared in many parts of the world as early as the second half of 2019. Among them, there is concern that the emergence of the new corona virus in the States States may be earlier than the first official report of the new crown in the United States Report on the timing of confirmed pneumonia cases. The US is also expected to be open and transparent like China and invite WHO experts to the US for traceability research.
