Members of the World Health Organization team chat on a hotel room balcony in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dominic Dwyer of the World Health Organization team waves at journalists from a hotel room balcony in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter Ben Embarek of the World Health Organization team waves at journalists from a hotel room balcony in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese counterparts arrive at conference area of the hotel where the World Health Organization team is staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese representatives in a convoy of mini-buses arrive at the conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peter Daszak of the World Health Organization team walks outside a conference area of a hotel in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese security guards close off a road after a convoy of mini-buses arrive at the conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Chinese security guard stands at a doorway to the conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese attendees, some wearing tags which reads “Expert Team,” leave from a conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. World Health Organization experts are to begin face-to-face meetings with their Chinese counterparts Friday in the central city of Wuhan at the start of the team’s long-awaited fact-finding mission into the origins of the coronavirus.
Chinese attendees, some wearing tags which reads “Expert Team,” walk to a restaurant after leaving a conference area where World Health Organization team of researchers are meeting their Chinese counterparts in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. World Health Organization experts are to begin face-to-face meetings with their Chinese counterparts Friday in the central city of Wuhan at the start of the team’s long-awaited fact-finding mission into the origins of the coronavirus.
Chinese attendees, some wearing tags which reads “Expert Team”, walk to a restaurant after leaving a conference area where World Health Organization team of researchers are meeting their Chinese counterparts in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese counterparts arrive at conference area of the hotel where the World Health Organization team is staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese attendees, some wearing tags which reads “Expert Team”, leave from a conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese attendees, some wearing tags which reads “Expert Team”, leave from a conference area of a hotel where the World Health Organization team of researchers are staying in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A car that’s part of a convoy carrying the World Health Organization team of researchers arrives at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine also known as the Hubei Province Xinhua Hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marion Koopmans of the World Health Organization team of researchers looks out from a car during a field trip in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the World Health Organization team of researchers prepare to leave on a field trip in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the World Health Organization team of researchers prepare to leave on a field trip in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Members of the World Health Organization team of researchers prepare to leave on a field trip in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A resident wearing a mask sits outside the clinic entrance of the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine also known as the Hubei Province Xinhua Hospital where a World Health Organization team of researchers arrive on its first field trip in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A car that’s part of a convoy carrying the World Health Organization team of researchers arrives at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine also know as the Hubei Province Xinhua Hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A car that’s part of a convoy carrying the World Health Organization team of researchers arrives at the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine also known as the Hubei Province Xinhua Hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team of researchers emerged from their hotel Thursday for the first time since their arrival in the central Chinese city of Wuhan to start searching for clues into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese medical staff react as the World Health Organization team leave after their visit to the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine also know as the Hubei Province Xinhua Hospital in Wuhan in central China’s Hubei province on Friday, Jan. 29, 2021. The World Health Organization team on Friday visited the hospital where China says the first COVID-19 patients were treated more than a year ago as part of the experts’ long-awaited fact-finding mission on the origins of the coronavirus.
WUHAN, China (AP) — A World Health Organization team visited a hospital on Friday where China says the first COVID-19 patients were treated more than a year ago as part of the experts’ long-awaited fact-finding mission on the origins of the coronavirus.
The WHO team members and Chinese officials earlier had their first in-person meetings at a hotel ahead of field visits in and around the central city of Wuhan in the coming days.
“First face to face meeting with our colleagues. Correction: facemask to facemask given the medical restrictions,” Dutch virologist Marion Koopmans tweeted in the morning.
She said they were discussing their program of visits and Chinese team leader “prof. Wannian” was joking about some technical glitches, an apparent reference to top Chinese epidemiologist Liang Wannian, who has been a leader of China’s response team.
“Nice to see our colleagues after lengthy Zoom meetings,” Koopman tweeted. The visiting researchers held video meetings during 14 days of quarantine after their arrival in China. They came out of quarantine on Thursday.
Members of the team left the hotel by car, and a short time later entered the gates of the Hubei Provincial Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine. According to China’s official account of its response to the initial outbreak, Dr. Zhang Jixian first reported cases of what was then known as “pneumonia of unknown origin” at the hospital on Dec. 27, 2019.
