Coronavirus: ‘WHO masked concern’ about China’s slow release of information
- Recordings show UN agency frustrated by lack of data to assess new virus, costing the world valuable time
- Rather than colluding with China, new documents show UN agency was largely kept in the dark
But in fact, Chinese officials sat on releasing the genetic map, or genome, of the deadly virus for over a week after multiple government labs had fully decoded it, not sharing details key to designing tests, drugs and vaccines.
Strict controls on information and competition within the Chinese public health system were largely to blame, according to internal documents, emails and dozens of interviews.
Health officials only released the genome after a Chinese lab published it ahead of authorities on a virology website on January 11.
Even then, China stalled for at least two more weeks on giving WHO the details it needed, according to recordings of multiple internal meetings held by the UN health agency in January – all at a time when the outbreak arguably might have been dramatically slowed.
Although the WHO continued to publicly commend China, the recordings show they were concerned China was not sharing enough information to assess the risk posed by the new virus, costing the world valuable time.
“We’re currently at the stage where yes, they’re giving it to us 15 minutes before it appears on CCTV,” said WHO’s top official in China, Dr Gauden Galea, referring to the state-owned China Central Television, in one meeting.