The World Health Organization (WHO) has abandoned plans for the second phase of its study into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus because of challenges it faced doing key studies in China, Nature reported today, citing Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, the WHO's technical lead for COVID-19.
An international team led by the WHO spent 4 weeks in China in January 2021 investigating the source of the virus. They published their full findings in March 2021, which covered four possibilities, with a jump to humans from an intermediate animal carrier most likely. While pressing China for more transparency, the group planned on doing a second phase of the study.
The study into the origins of the virus, however, has been hampered by multilayered political tensions. In July, the WHO sent a proposed outline for the second phase of the study to China, which included sampling at wild-animal markets and audits of labs in the Wuhan area, but China rejected the plans, according to Nature.

Bat sampling continues
Other efforts are still under way to learn new clues about the initial spread, such as sampling in bats, as well as testing of archived wastewater and blood samples, Nature reported, adding that researchers say too much time has passed to gather some data that would help better identify the source.
On Twitter today, Peter Daszak, PhD, who was part of the earlier WHO joint mission and is the president of EcoHealth Alliance, said, intense politicization derailed phase 2 of the study. "A constant barrage of media harassment, driven by polarized politics has effectively halted scientific progress. We're left with ZERO new data - just intrigue, rumor, hearsay & vindictive political posturing."
In the summer of 2021, the WHO established a permanent group called the Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO) to continue the search for the source of SARS-CoV-2 and other novel pathogens.
The company said the trial is also intended to support licensing in Europe and Brazil.