US slams WHO report on origins of COVID-19

Washington: The US slammed the World Health Organization (WHO) report on the origin of Covid-19, saying it lacks crucial data, information and access. The US also urged WHO to ensure Phase 2 of the study commences without delay, adhering to principles of transparency and free from political interference.

“What is evident from our review of the report is that it lacks crucial data, information, access and represents a picture that is partial and incomplete. That isn’t just our view. Many other countries share that view,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

“We urge WHO to ensure that the second phase of this study commences without further delay, including in China, in a way that respects and adheres to principles of transparency and openness, is driven by experts and free from interference, including political interference,” Price added.

Price said that the WHO should reevaluate how the virus started so that crucial lessons on the virus can be learnt.

“We also call on WHO to reevaluate criteria and terms of this process. We need to understand – I’m using ‘we’ collectively here – how this virus started so we can learn lessons that are applicable in this and future cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has started a study to determine the risk of allergic reactions to the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.