sb.scorecardresearch

Published 12:16 IST, May 6th 2020

WHO: France's first Coronavirus case in December 'not surprising'

WHO stated that it wasn’t surprising that cases of COVID-19 could have occurred a month earlier than the official first case was reported.

Reported by: Riya Baibhawi
Follow: Google News Icon
  • share
WHO says it is 'not surprising' to find french case of coronavirus in December
null | Image: self

World Health Organisation on May 5 stated that it “wasn’t surprising" that cases of COVID-19 could have occurred a month earlier than the official first case was reported. The Geneva-based body added that it was possible for new cases to emerge now. This comes after a French citizen reportedly admitted that he had contracted COVID-19 as early as December 27 and thought it to be Flu. 

“It's also possible there are more early cases to be found,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told a UN press briefing in Geneva. He also encouraged other countries to check their records of cases occurring in late December adding that it would give a “new and clearer“ picture of the pandemic.

According to International media reports, the Avicenne Hospital in Bobigny re-analysed the results of its negative tests of people admitted with pneumonia in December 2019. Surprisingly, out f the 24 patients, one tested positive. The discovery has raised scepticism across the world on how many patients had tested falsely for pneumonia. Currently, the virus has infected 170,551 people and claimed the lives of 25,531 people across France. However, 52,736 have also recovered till now. 

Read: France: Hospital Discovers COVID-19 Case From December After Retesting Samples

Read: Freedom! In France, A Nursing Home Takes On COVID And Wins

Origin of COVID-19

When asked about the origin of the disease, Lindmeier said it is important to explore this. According to reports, scientists have advised the WHO that genome sequencing of COVID-19 shows that it has a natural origin, refuting all claims indicating the disease to be man-made. Health experts believe that the coronavirus originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. However, the United States has time and again persisted that the disease may have originated in a Chinese laboratory, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo going as far as to say his country has enormous evidence on that. 

Read: WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Reminds Importance Of Clean Hands On Hand Hygiene Day

Read:  After Fresh Reports On Virus Spread, WHO Urges Countries To Investigate Covid Cases Early

Image Credits: AP

Updated 12:16 IST, May 6th 2020