The First Report of COVID-19 to WHO Was Made by the WHO Office, Not Chinese Authorities

Chinese President Xi Jinping is shaking hands with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last January.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] It has been revealed that the first report of a novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) case to the World Health Organization (WHO) was made not by the Chinese authorities but by the WHO China Country Office.

According to a detailed log newly released by WHO on the 3rd (local time), AFP reported that on December 31 last year, the WHO China Country Office was the first to report to WHO about new viral pneumonia cases occurring in Wuhan, China.

According to the log, on that day, the WHO China Country Office saw a press release on the Wuhan Health Commission website and contacted the local base. On the same day, the WHO Epidemic Intelligence Service obtained articles about unexplained pneumonia cases occurring in the Wuhan area, which were delivered by the US international epidemic surveillance network ProMED.

Subsequently, WHO requested information about these cases from the Chinese authorities twice on January 1 and 2, and the Chinese authorities provided the information on the 3rd.

Initially, when WHO released the early COVID-19 response log last April, it only stated that the first report of COVID-19 infection cases came from China on December 31 last year, without mentioning the exact source.

Michael Ryan, WHO Executive Director of the Health Emergencies Programme, said at a press conference on the 3rd, "Countries are given 24 to 48 hours to officially confirm infections after they occur and to analyze symptoms and causes before providing information to WHO," adding that the Chinese authorities promptly responded to WHO's request to verify the report. He explained that there were no issues with China's reporting regarding COVID-19.