A joint WHO-China study on the origins of COVID-19 says that transmission of the virus from bats to humans through another animal is the most likely scenario and that a lab leak is "extremely unlikely", the Associated Press reported on Monday. The findings were wide as expected and left several questions unsettled and the WHO team recommended further research in every area except the lab leak hypothesis, the report said.
The report’s release was frequently delayed, raising questions about whether the Chinese side was attempting to hide the conclusions to prevent blame for the coronavirus pandemic falling on China. Last week, a World Health Organisation official said that he expected it would be ready for release in a few days.
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The report seemed to be a final version on Monday from a Geneva-based representative from a WHO-member country and it’s not clear if the report may be still be changed before its release.