https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1217043229427761152
It was exactly a year ago that the World Health Organization tweeted this to the world:
Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China
When the world finally recognised it as a pandemic, Emperor Xi told the world:
In China, after making painstaking efforts and enormous sacrifice, we
have turned the tide on the virus and protected the life and health of
our people. All along, we have acted with openness, transparency and
responsibility. We have provided information to WHO and relevant
countries in a most timely fashion. We have released the genome sequence
at the earliest possible time. We have shared control and treatment
experience with the world without reservation. We have done everything
in our power to support and assist countries in need.
2 million deaths, 93 million infections and a year later, the WHO officials are finally going to Wuhan to investigate.
How and why did it take so long for world health experts to get to China, when for months China has repeatedly and publicly said that it stands with the world and all of humanity to help?
What is it that these health experts plan to find after being stonewalled and denied visas at the last minute, when already in December China claimed to be fully ready to receive these independent experts?
If China were so open to helping the world uncover the origins of the virus, and stands with humanity in combatting this virus that has shut down societies and economies worldwide, why did Australia, which called for an independent international investigation, bear the brunt of Chinese bullying and aggression for months on end?
It's been demonstrated that while Wuhan locked down barely a week later, flights continued to fly out of the city to locales all around the world. And the virus spread.
The year since the virus broke in Wuhan, China has been spreading disinformation and trying to cast doubt about its origins. The worst form of disinformation being that corona may have been brought into China from frozen foods--a claim that the WHO has already refuted. The disinformation campaign is so blatant it is laughable and insidious. In one interview, an "expert" Victor Gao, known for being a mouthpiece for the government, disputes that Dr Li Wenliang was silenced for he falsely raised alarm about SARS, and COVID-19 is not SARS. The official scientific name is SARS-COV2.
Also today, Taiwan's CDC released a moving documentary TRusT paying tribute to the tireless efforts of public health officials, frontline workers, and the people of Taiwan, who excelled in keeping the coronavirus at bay.
Meanwhile, amid much dismay and confusion in Ontario, we have moved from a tiered lockdown, to a coloured lockdown, and since yesterday, a "state of emergecy" stay-at-home order.
