A highly anticipated report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on the origins of COVID-19 based on its findings in Wuhan, China, is “likely” to be delayed until next week, a spokesman for the health agency said Tuesday.
“What we hear from the technical experts—from the mission members—is that the report most likely now will come out next week,” Lindmeier said.
In early March, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic indicated that the final report of the WHO-led mission’s findings was expected “in [the] coming weeks.” WHO expert Peter Ben Embarek separately said that the agency planned to release the report in the week of March 15.
The report is expected to examine a number of theories about the origins of the virus.
The CCP virus first surfaced in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. A lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where scientists have conducted extensive research on bat coronaviruses, has long been speculated to be the source of the outbreak, possibly due to an accidental leak.
Lindmeier said Tuesday that the report is still being finalized.
“The experts are drawing it up together, and ... the more people involved, the more people will have to have a say in it,” he said. “They want to get it right. That is the important part.”