WHO-China joint study calls lab leak 'extremely unlikely'; Tedros says assessment 'not extensive enough'

On March 30, 2021, WHO published the 120-page joint WHO-China study on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, following a four-week mission to Wuhan (January 14 – February 10, 2021). The report rated introduction through a laboratory incident as 'extremely unlikely' and recommended no further study of that hypothesis. At a member-state briefing the same day, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the team had reported difficulties accessing raw data, that he did not believe the lab-incident assessment was extensive enough, and that 'all hypotheses remain on the table.' The United States and 13 other governments issued a joint statement raising concerns about the study's access and delays.