WUHAN – A World Health Organization-led team of experts investigating the origins of COVID-19 has visited Huanan market in Chinese city of Wuhan where the new coronavirus was initially detected.
The team which consists of ten scientists is set to interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.
The team arrived at Huanan amid heavy security, with additional barricades set up outside a high blue fence surrounding the market, and left in a convoy after about one hour. The experts did not take questions from journalists.
Since being released from a two-week quarantine on Thursday, the team has visited hospitals and markets, as well as an exhibition commemorating Wuhan’s battle with the virus, which included a 76-day lockdown of the city of 11 million.
“Very important site visits today – a wholesale market first & Huanan Seafood Market just now. Very informative & critical for our joint teams to understand the epidemiology of COVID as it started to spread at the end of 2019,” team member Peter Daszak said on Twitter.
