In The Know

China obscured investigation into origins of COVID-19: MLI

The report that the World Health Organization released following its investigation into the origins of COVID-19 was immediately criticized in a statement released by 14 countries, including Canada, on the grounds that it lacked the necessary access to have been properly conducted. Even WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he did not believe the assessment was extensive enough.

The extent to which China controlled this investigation into the origins of COVID-19 is especially problematic, says Brian Lee Crowley for the MacDonald Laurier Institute. For one, the World Health Organization team (which consisted of Chinese as well as international experts) did not have the necessary freedom to explore any and all options as to what actually happened, and who might ultimately be responsible. 

“China essentially ran the investigation,” Crowley says. “It had to approve the international team members. It set up the itinerary for the visit. It negotiated the terms of reference, which, from the outset, framed the investigation in ways that were favourable to China.”

The end result is that critically important information for understanding how we can deal with the next pandemic as it arises, and maybe even prevent it before it happens, will never be known, Crowley argues.

Watch the full breakdown here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eJXNbv–9U

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