WHO Asks China To Cooperate On Understanding COVID-19 Origins
January 16, 2023—After a three-year span of its zero-COVID policy ended last month, China’s health system is once again being put to the test. On Saturday health officials held a press conference releasing information and putting a positive spin on China’s management of the virus. But the World Health Organization is asking health officials in China for more detailed data. Furthermore, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wants China to coordinate more to help the agency understand the origins of the virus.
WHO Seeks Information, Transparency
Since ending its strict zero-COVID policy in December, China’s government has faced criticism for its plans and management of the virus. But China’s health officials are putting a positive spin on things. Even though COVID-related cases, hospitalizations, and deaths inevitably rose at the end of the strict lockdowns and testing, officials now say the worst is past them.
“It’s fair to say we have weathered the worst of this round,” said Dr. Liang Wanian, a professor of health at Tsinghua University. Liang played a key role in China’s COVID-19 policies, according to China’s state-owned CGTN. “This shows the strength of our medical system.”
Information Provided
Chinese officials provided information on “outpatient clinics, hospitalizations, patients requiring emergency treatment and critical care, and hospital deaths related to COVID-19 infection” from early December to mid-January, the WHO reported on Saturday. Now, the global health agency wants details about incidences by providence.
The Jabs
In 2022, the WHO recommended vaccine manufacturers produce new boosters. However, it is not clear if the agency evaluates the effectiveness of the different vaccines. It is widely thought that China’s CoronaVac and Sinopharm are not as effective as the mRNA shots.
Calls for Transparency on Origins
Speaking with Minister Ma Xiaowei, director of China’s National Health Commission, on Saturday, WHO’s Dr. Tedros “also reiterated the importance of China’s deeper cooperation and transparency on understanding the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in carrying out the recommendations detailed in the report of the Strategic Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens.”
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