WHO official voices support for virus origin-tracing team in Wuhan

GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday slammed critics of its origin-tracing work on the novel coronavirus in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and voiced support for the team.

Many critics claimed that they "won't accept the report when it comes out," or that there is "other intelligence available that may show different findings" on how the outbreak started, Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, told a press conference from the UN agency's headquarters in Geneva.

"If you have the answers... please let us know," he added.

It is not responsible "to say you won't accept a report before it's even written" and "you have intelligence that has not been provided," said Ryan, adding that the team in the field deserved international support.