Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Seeking Covid's Origin, China Plans Thousands Of Wuhan Blood Tests
CNN: China To Test Thousands Of Wuhan Blood Samples In Covid-19 Probe
China is preparing to test tens of thousands of blood bank samples from the city of Wuhan as part of a probe into the origins of Covid-19, according to a Chinese official. The move comes amid increasing calls for transparency over the emergence of the virus. The store of up to 200,000 samples, including those from the closing months of 2019 were pinpointed in February this year by the World Health Organization's panel of investigators as a possible source of key information that could help determine when and where the virus first crossed into humans. (Walsh, 10/12)
The New York Times: W.H.O. Will Announce New Team To Study Coronavirus Origins
The position is unpaid. The world’s scientists and internet sleuths will scrutinize every move. Completing the first assignment with the available tools, and to everyone’s satisfaction, will be nearly impossible. Despite those considerable obstacles, more than 700 people have applied for spots on a new committee charged with breathing life into the World Health Organization’s stalled inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. (Mueller, 10/12)
In other global developments —
The Wall Street Journal: Havana Syndrome Hits At Least Five U.S. Families Connected To Embassy In Colombia
At least five American families connected to the bustling U.S. Embassy in Colombia have been afflicted with the mysterious neurological ailment known as Havana Syndrome, in the latest attack against American diplomatic installations, people familiar with the matter said. In emails to embassy personnel, sent by Ambassador Philip Goldberg and others and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, the State Department vowed to address the issue “seriously, with objectivity and with sensitivity,” as they work to determine the scope of the afflictions in one of the U.S.’s most important diplomatic outposts. (Salama and Forero, 10/12)
