WHO: Wuhan’s COVID Outbreak Possibly Wider Than Initially Thought

By Staff, Agencies

The World Health Organization [WHO] team investigating the origins of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China, has discovered signs that the outbreak of the disease in December 2019 was much wider than initially presumed, CNN reported on Sunday.

The report noted that the team of experts has been facing difficulties from the Chinese government as they have not been able to gain access to hundreds of thousands of blood samples, at their request.

Head of the WHO mission Peter Ben Embarek told CNN that “The virus was circulating widely in Wuhan in December, which is a new finding.”

Embark explained that 174 COVID-19 cases were introduced to the team by Chinese scientists, which could indicate that there were at least 1,000 people infected in Wuhan in early December.

“We haven't done any modeling of that since. But we know… in big ballpark figures... out of the infected population, about 15 percent end up [with] severe cases, and the vast majority are mild cases,” the WHO food safety specialist told CNN.

In addition, more than a dozen strains of the virus were discovered for the first time, which could also indicate a larger prevalence of the disease in the Chinese city.

With new data integrated together, it could lead to a better understanding of the origin of the disease, as hypotheses where it emerged and when remain open.