NAIROBI, Kenya – Released on June 27, the report confirms that all theories on how the SARS-CoV-2 virus first entered the human population—including zoonotic spillover and a laboratory incident—remain plausible due to a lack of conclusive evidence.
The global health body says efforts to identify the source of the pandemic, which has killed at least 20 million people globally, have been hampered by limited access to critical data.
“It is a moral imperative to determine how COVID-19 began,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasizing the urgency of understanding the virus’s origin to better prevent future pandemics.
The first known cases were recorded in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.
In January 2021, a WHO-led team of international experts travelled to the city to probe the outbreak, working alongside Chinese scientists. However, the joint investigation yielded few answers.
Dr. Marietjie Venter, chair of WHO’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), reiterated the importance of continuing the search.
“This is not solely a scientific endeavor—it is a moral and ethical imperative,” said Venter. “Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it sparked a global pandemic is essential to help prevent future pandemics, save lives and livelihoods, and reduce global suffering.”
The report notes that the inconclusive findings are largely due to withheld data and limited cooperation, especially in the early stages of the outbreak.
WHO Member States had unanimously agreed in 2020 to investigate the virus’s origins, leading to the initial joint study whose preliminary results were released in March 2021.
But subsequent attempts to gather more evidence have stalled.
Despite scientific and political challenges, the WHO insists the investigation must continue.
“As things stand, all hypotheses must remain on the table,” Dr. Tedros said, urging governments and institutions to share information transparently.
With the world still reeling from the pandemic’s health and economic consequences, the quest to uncover the virus’s origin remains not only a scientific challenge—but a global responsibility.
