Following @StephenMcDonell on @WHO covid origins investigation in Wuhan. First 3 days visited 2 hospitals, Wuhan covid exhibition, cold storage, and the shutdown seafood market.

Hope WHO is getting data on index cases and market samples as outlined in their terms of reference...

These investigation plans were drafted and approved by the Chinese authorities in Jul/Aug 2020 but published in Nov. Even up till the team’s visit to China, the data and information agreed upon in the document had not been fully shared with them. https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-convened-global-study-of-the-origins-of-sars-cov-2

I suspect WHO went to Wuhan in person to try and get the long awaited data about the early covid cases and market samples.

Up till now we still do not have a clear handle on who the first cases were, if there were links to common individuals or locations beyond the market...

Don’t know what animal samples were taken from the market and other animal populations in the city and province.

Don’t know if animal sellers were tested for antibodies to sars viruses. Don’t know if pre-late 2019 patient and wastewater samples in the area were tested for SARS2.

Seems unlikely that these obvious tests would not have been done back in early 2020 unless they had already determined the origins of the virus - which would have made any of these retrospective investigations unnecessary or at least non-urgent.

@WHO team may have to let themselves be bussed around to see whatever the Chinese government wants them to see. Maybe next stop is a mink or other animal farm. Maybe smuggled animals from SE Asia.

Waiting to see what data the team can share once they return from their trip.