India extends its support to renewed global calls for comprehensive investigation into origins of Covid-19 by World Health Organisation.
Background
India extended support after US President asked US intelligence agencies to find how coronavirus emerged in China. Demands were raised by countries including US and Australia to investigate whether coronavirus originated in Wuhan City of China in late 2019 from an animal source or from laboratory accident in December 2019. Earlier, In March 2021, WHO reported on origins of virus but US and other countries were not satisfied with it.
WHO’s Stand
According to WHO, global study on origin of Covid-19 is an important first step. Now, next phase studies will help in generating further data and studies to reach robust conclusions.
Controversy surrounding origin of coronavirus
A study on origin of SARS-CoV-2 conducted in 2020 by scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, concluded that coronavirus may have originated in a laboratory in China. However, Z Division report concluded, both lab-origin theory and zoonotic theory were possible.
Lab leak theory of coronavirus
Wuhan Institute of Virology has come to spotlight when a media report in US claimed, three researchers from Wuhan Institute of Virology sought hospital care in November 2019 some weeks before China disclosed covid-19 cases in Wuhan.
China’s Stand
China denied the report stating, there were zero Covid-19 infections at the institute.