Despite Proof That Coronavirus Spread From Wet Market, WHO Says It's OK To Keep Them Open

When the reports of wet markets being operational again in China hit the news, people were outraged and appealed to WHO to put a ban on such markets; the Wuhan wet market selling live animals is considered to be the origin point of coronavirus, that has now spread across the world.

However, the World Health Organisation does not recommend these markets - potential sites of epidemic, be shut down globally.

AFP

According to an AP report, WHO food safety and animal diseases expert, Peter Ben Embarek, in a press brief said, "Live animal markets are critical to providing food and livelihoods for millions of people globally" and that "authorities should focus on improving them rather than outlawing them - even though they can sometimes spark epidemics in humans."

"Food safety in these environments is rather difficult and therefore, it is not surprising that sometimes we also have these events happening within markets," Ben Embarek said in the briefing.

AFP

He believes there can be a reduction in the risk of disease transmission from animals to humans in these overcrowded markets, by improving hygiene and food safety standards.

Even though WHO has previously claimed that coronavirus came from bats, Embarek said that "it is still unclear whether the market in Wuhan linked to the first several dozens of coronavirus cases in China was the actual source of the virus or merely played a role in spreading the disease further," according to the report.

AFP

Till date, there have been no reports of China inviting either WHO or any other external experts to be part of any coronavirus-related investigation, and the WHO has not pointed out any problems with China¡¯s unwillingness to collaborate with others.