A tweet from January has many questioning why the World Health Organization blindly shared what may have been Chinese propaganda about the coronavirus.
The COVID-19 virus outbreak is believed to have started in Wuhan, China, in December. In mid-January, the WHO tweeted a study that was made public by the Chinese Communist Party, claiming that humans could not spread the coronavirus to one another.
“Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in Wuhan, China,” the organization tweeted on Jan. 14.
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Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the novel #coronavirus (2019-nCoV) identified in #Wuhan, #China??. pic.twitter.com/Fnl5P877VG
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 14, 2020
Two months after that tweet, the world was met with a pandemic that had hit most countries on Earth and put the global economy in a free fall, with human-to-human transmission playing a major role in the spread of the virus. Many questioned the WHO and its parent organization, the United Nations, for sharing a study that turned out to be inaccurate.
“Facts & documents are the basis for sound judgements. If you wonder whether the @WHO engaged in a #Chinese cover up exercise, is just incompetent, or both, take a look at the WHO’s tweet from Jan 14th,” wrote Johns Hopkins professor Steven Hanke.
Facts & documents are the basis for sound judgements. If you wonder whether the @WHO engaged in a #Chinese cover up exercise, is just incompetent, or both, take a look at the WHO’s tweet from Jan 14th. #Coronavirus. #CoronavirusUSA. #CoronavirusOutbreak. https://t.co/B03xQReakV
— Prof. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) March 19, 2020
Several others trashed the WHO for sharing such information from the Chinese government.
Reminder that brave Wuhan doctors knew of human-to-human transmission in December, and put everything on the line to try to warn us. They were censored and punished. Some died. Unconscionably, Chinese authorities suppressed the info and WHO parroted their line into January. https://t.co/LvQcuDDAJP
— zeynep tufekci (@zeynep) March 18, 2020
China is claiming no new case of #Covid in Wuhan as of today. In Jan, even WHO fell for its claim that no community transmission took place and rest is history. Remember UNESCO also tweeted virus has no nationality in China’s defence. One country is taking entire world for ride! https://t.co/bdt6hO8Gpk
— Monica (@TrulyMonica) March 19, 2020
Just going to leave this here from January from the WHO, courtesy of China when #Chinahidthevirus https://t.co/CP2QERnKRN
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) March 18, 2020
Many have doubted the coronavirus reporting from China since the outbreak began. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has gone as far as demanding punishment for the Chinese Communist Party for its handling of the outbreak.
Since the outbreak began, more than 222,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus around the world, and more than 9,100 have died from the COVID-19 virus. Over 84,000 others, however, have recovered since contracting the illness.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that social distancing, self-quarantine, and good hygiene are the best ways to prevent the human-to-human spread of the illness.
