Coronavirus: WHO denies it bent to pressure from Beijing

WHO has dismissed as ‘false allegations’ a report it withheld information on the coronavirus under pressure from Beijing.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus meets Xi Jinping before a meeting in Beijing on January 28. Picture: AFP

The World Health Organisation has dismissed as “false allegations” a report that it withheld information about the coronavirus following pressure from the Chinese government.

The UN agency said a German magazine’s report about a telephone conversation between WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Chinese President Xi Jinping on January 21 was “unfounded and untrue”. Der Spiegel reported that Mr Xi asked Dr Tedros during the call to hold back information about human-to-human transmission of the virus and delay declaring a pandemic.

The magazine quoted Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, BND. Der Spiegel also claimed the BND concluded up to six weeks of time to fight the outbreak had been lost because of Chinese stalling. WHO said Dr Tedros and Mr Xi “have never spoken by phone” and added that “such inaccurate reports distract and detract from WHO’s and the world’s efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic”.

It said China confirmed human-to-human transmission on January 20. WHO issued a statement two days later saying there was evidence of human-to-human transmission in Wuhan but more investigation was necessary. It declared a pandemic on February 11.

AP