BEIJING, February 1. /TASS/. Experts of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) mission, who are in China’s Wuhan to probe into the origins of the novel coronavirus infection, don’t plan to take any samples, Vladimir Dedkov, a mission member and deputy director of the St. Petersburg-based Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, told TASS on Monday.
"Obviously, during our visit, we will not be able to answer all the questions: where the novel coronavirus originated from and so on," he said. "A lot will be done later. It is just the first big visit and further research will be planned during it."
"I mean that we are not supposed to take any samples during this mission," Dedkov explained. "Our task is analysis and planning. I.e. we are to draw a program of research jointly with the Chinese side and it will take certain time to implement it."
He however refrained from answering the question about the program of the current mission. "I cannot tell you that. We have a program of visits. Under the WHO rules, we cannot disclose where we are to go," he said, adding he had seen media reports alleging that the WHO experts would be taken to areas of bat habitats. "I have read that we are to go to a cave to catch bats. I was very surprised. I would be glad to do that but I doubt we will be doing it," he said.
The WHO mission arrived in China’s Wuhan to probe into the origin of the novel coronavirus infection on January 14. Upon arrival, the WHO experts were placed under two-week quarantine. This time was used to hold online consultation with Chinese specialists.
The WHO has repeatedly said that the probe into the origin of the infection is to begin from China’s Wuhan. Two WHO experts visited China last summer to prepare the main mission. The visit yielded a document on a program of research of a WHO-led international team.