The World Health Organization’s (WHO) international experts have stated multiple times that during their visit to China, they were given access to all the locations they wanted to visit and were able to meet with everyone they wished to see, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao.
China initiated a strict lockdown in January 2020 as the world began grappling with the rapid spread of COVID-19. Many countries soon followed suit, implementing measures to curb the virus’s transmission. These included school closures, remote work mandates, flight cancellations, mask requirements, and instructions for people to remain indoors. At its peak, the virus claimed 40,000 lives per month in Europe as it spread globally.
In 2023, genetic samples collected from a live animal market in Wuhan were uploaded to an international database by Chinese scientists. These data were analyzed by an international research team, which identified raccoon dogs as a probable intermediary host for the virus, suggesting they were likely key carriers in the early transmission of COVID-19.
China, however, has faced ongoing criticism over its handling of information related to the outbreak. Authorities were accused of suppressing domestic media reports and placing restrictions on scientific investigations into the virus’s origins. In 2021, China initially blocked the entry of a WHO team tasked with studying COVID’s origins, later allowing the visit but under tight controls. Chinese officials also floated the idea that the virus might have originated abroad.
Globally, more than 7 million people have lost their lives to COVID-19, while over 760 million cases have been confirmed, according to WHO data. By May 2023, the organization declared that COVID-19 was no longer considered a global public health emergency.
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