The head of emergencies at the World Health Organisation reiterated that the group believes the novel coronavirus is "natural in origin."
Dr Michael Ryan (Photo: Reuters)
The head of emergencies at
the World Health Organisation reiterated that the group believes the novel
coronavirus is "natural in origin."
Dr Michael Ryan responded
Friday to comments by US President Donald Trump, who said he has seen
information that the virus may have emerged from a virology institute in China.
Ryan said WHO teams have
listened "again and again" to many scientists who have looked at the
gene sequences and the virus, "and we are assured that this virus is
natural in origin."
Ryan said it was important
to establish the natural host of the virus, which could help pave the way for a
better understanding of it and ways to prevent and respond to future outbreaks.
On Thursday, Trump
suggested he was confident that China's Wuhan Institute of Virology was at the
origin of the coronavirus, before again criticizing WHO's early response to the
outbreak.
Most scientists believe the
virus emerged at a market in the Chinese city, linked to an animal that has not
yet been identified.
The WHO's Emergency
Committee on the Covid-19 outbreak recommended Friday that the outbreak remains
an international public health emergency, its highest level of alert.