On Friday, a scientific advisory group from the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a report regarding the origins of COVID-19. The group concluded that evidence currently available suggests the pandemic likely resulted from a “zoonotic spillover,” occurring either directly from bats or via an intermediary host.

The report, developed by the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), which is made up of 27 independent international and multidisciplinary experts, noted that a significant amount of information required to thoroughly explore all hypotheses has yet to be provided.

Nevertheless, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that “all hypotheses must remain on the table, including zoonotic spillover and lab leak,” even when citing a probable cause.

Members of the World Health Organization team tasked with investigating the origins of the coronavirus disease arrive at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan, China. (Reuters/Thomas Peter. File)

“As the report says, this is not solely a scientific endeavor, it is a moral and ethical imperative,” Marietjie Venter, chair of the group, wrote in a statement. “Understanding the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it sparked a pandemic is needed to help prevent future pandemics, save lives and livelihoods, and reduce global suffering.”

“The work to understand the origins of SARS-CoV-2 remains unfinished,” the WHO wrote in a statement. “WHO welcomes any further evidence on the origins of COVID-19, and SAGO remains committed to reviewing any new information should it become available.”