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WHO Urges China to Share Covid-19 Origins Data, Reports 777 Million Infections and 7 Million Deaths on Fifth Anniversary

Dec 30, 2024, 05:18 PM

On the fifth anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed its call for China to share data and provide access to information that could help understand the origins of the virus. The first cases of the disease were reported on December 31, 2019, by the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission. The WHO emphasized in its statement that transparency and cooperation are crucial for preparing for future epidemics and pandemics, describing it as a moral and scientific imperative. The organization activated emergency systems on January 1, 2020, informed the world on January 4, 2020, and published comprehensive guidelines between January 9 and 12, 2020. The WHO has sent missions to China twice to investigate the origins of the disease, with experts keeping all theories open, including a possible lab leak, though they consider the most likely scenario to be a zoonotic transmission from other animal species. The WHO also asked to remember the lives lost, recognize those still suffering from Covid-19 and long Covid, and thank the healthcare workers for their sacrifices. Official WHO figures report 777 million infections and 7 million deaths from Covid-19 over the past five years, though these numbers are considered conservative due to unreported cases and excess mortality, with the actual death toll possibly reaching up to 20 million.