WHO recordings reveal officials irked with China's delayed COVID-19 information

Behind plaudits by World Health Organisation (WHO) for China’s swift transfer of information regarding vel coronavirus early in pandemic, internal records suggest orwise. As per Associated Press report, internal meeting recording has exposed a story that was drastically different from “very impressive, and beyond words” transparency previously touted of Chinese government because y, in fact, did delay information on COVID-19. United Nations (UN) health ncy officials showcased considerable frustration on receiving ‘very minimal information’, t eugh to formulate a global response, from China where vel coronavirus first originated in December 2019.

China reportedly sat on releasing genetic map, or geme of SARS-CoV-2 for over a week after three different government labs had fully decoded same information. And according to dozens of interviews and internal documents, it was Chinese authorities’ tight control on information and competition within public health systems were responsible. Reportedly, Chinese government only released geme after ar lab had published ahead of authorities on a virologist website on January 11, 2020. 

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Information delayed at a crucial time

China reportedly stalled for at least two weeks more on providing WHO with detailed data on both patients and cases of COVID-19 in Asian country, revealed by recordings of UN health ncy’s internal meeting held in January 2020 and obtained by news ncy, a time when pandemic could have been slowed. Despite internal reality, WHO officials throughout pandemic have lauded Chinese authorities publicly because y wanted to coax more information out of government, recordings suggest. 

As per AP report, WHO officials privately complained in meetings held in week of January 6, 2020, that China shared limited information on a possible outbreak, costing a valuable time and a great cost as global cases of COVID-19 have w surpassed grim milestone of 100 million. As per Johns Hopkins University tally, at least 2,157,790 have died of vel coronavirus infection, first found in China’s Wuhan province. 

“We’re going on very minimal information,” said American epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, w WHO’s technical lead for COVID-19, in one internal meeting. “It’s clearly t eugh for you to do proper planning.”

“We’re currently at st where yes, y’re giving it to us 15 minutes before it appears on CCTV,” said WHO’s top official in China, Dr. Gauden Galea, referring to state-owned China Central Television, in ar meeting.

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