WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked China to share the requested data concerning COVID-19 in order to probe the origins of the disease.
The Major Debate
The Burning issue, which justifies the phrase talk of the town, has to be re-phrased as ‘Talk of the World’. This is because the crucial topic of the debate is how SARS-CoV-2 initially evolved as a respiratory bacterium that could transmit itself sustainably from person to person.
The WHO chief has lamented that for further research, earlier hypotheses are available for use. Previous findings will help us to understand the origin better.
They cannot take the research ahead until China provides the data. Therefore, the missing pieces of the puzzle are yet to be found.
Theories of Experts on Origin
According to experts, two governing theories would have led to the origin of the virus.
We can consider a natural zoonotic spillover as the first reason for the root cause of the disease. A zoonotic spillover is the transmission of bacteria from wild animals to humans. In most human infectious diseases, it dominantly derives bacteria from animal species.
Another theory of the disease emergence according to experts is the infiltration of the virus into humans because of research related incidents. Mishap during research with risky elements leads to these situations.
COVID-19: Still a Threat
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is of the opinion that COVID-19 is still a threat to human beings. He remembers the time in which the Omicron variant arose. Fifty thousand fatalities were constantly occurring in a week globally.
However, last week less than ten thousand people succumbed to the disease. The numbers are lesser compared to before, but the disease still proves to be a threat.
The chief holds the opinion that countries can make efforts in order to control the outbreak and spread of the disease.
Every few months, a WHO body meets in order to tackle the situation at hand.
Future
In January, WHO claimed that the criteria to declare an end to the COVID-19 emergency will emerge in the next meeting of the Emergency committee.
The virus, according to the experts, will not go away or suffer extinction. It is crucial that countries learn to manage the outbreak of this disease alongside other respiratory diseases.
Reminder of Scientific Advancement and Human Abilities
Though COVID-19 was a devastating disease which created havoc in the entire world, we should appreciate the manner in which humans handled it in terms of response.
Scientific advancements made it possible to learn about the pandemic and the disease quickly. The emergence of vaccines and medicines to tackle the disease in a brief time was a marvellous invention. Prevention from the outbreak and methods to tackle it were found effectively. Science and humans deserve appreciation for this.
Conclusion
Since COVID-19 shook humanity, the importance of finding its origin has become an important priority. The reason which led to its occurrence will help in prevention in case of a similar outbreak. With this knowledge which will arise, we can be better prepared to handle major mishaps if they ever occur in the future.
Scientific advancement will play a necessary role in finding the origin of the disease.
