At that time, it was reported that the novel coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, and spread throughout the world, causing a pandemic.

Data from several countries claimed the virus was circulating months earlier than previously thought, suggesting that China covered up early spread before informing the world.

Following a conducted research by WHO scientists, Peter Embarek, the leader of the team, said on Tuesday at a press conference held in Wuhan, that studies of infection and mortality data, blood samples, and other hospital records had failed to uncover any evidence of significant transmission before December ‘in Wuhan or elsewhere’.

Dr. Embarek reported the findings of a month-long fact-finding mission in China.

During the one month of research, the experts reportedly spent two weeks in quarantine, and the same again on fieldwork. They also spent just an hour at the seafood market where many of the first reported clusters of infections emerged over a year ago.

The teams also appeared to spend several days inside their hotel, receiving visits from various Chinese officials without going out into the city.

But deeper research was carried out at the Wuhan virology institute where they spent nearly four hours and said they met with Chinese scientists there including Shi Zhengli, one of China’s leading experts on bat coronaviruses and deputy director of the Wuhan la

Opening the press conference, Dr Liang Winnian, the head of China’s Wuhan research team, said that while transmissions from animals to humans via bats remain the likeliest origin of Covid, the original host ‘has not been identified’.

He added that studies showed the virus ‘can be carried long-distance on cold chain products,’ appearing to nudge towards the possible importation of the virus – a theory that has abounded in China in recent months. He also said there was ‘no indication’ the sickness was in circulation in Wuhan before December 2019 when the first official cases have been recorded.

WHO foreign expert Ben Embarak, who was based in the WHO’s Beijing office for two years from 2009, backed up the assertion saying there was no evidence of ‘large outbreaks in Wuhan’ before then.

Before the mission began, it was trailed by fears of a whitewash, with the US demanding a ‘robust’ probe but China fired back with a warning not to ‘politicise’ the investigation.

This comes a year after COVID-19 emerged, as China reported its first death from COVID-19 in eight months.

Their arrival was delayed after a protracted tug-of-war about the trip, NAN reports.

Upon arrival, the researchers were tested for the coronavirus and asked to go into quarantine for two weeks.

The experts will work with Chinese scientists to investigate whether the virus can be traced back to its origins.

The novel coronavirus which causes the COVID-19 disease was first discovered over a year ago in the central Chinese metropolis.

The search for the origin of the virus is politically sensitive – China fears being fingered as the culprit for the coronavirus pandemic.

For months Chinese authorities have been casting doubt on whether the virus originated in China at all.

They point to unconfirmed reports that there may have first been possible infections in other countries.

They also say traces of the virus on imported frozen goods are evidence that the virus could have come from abroad.

Researchers, on the other hand, suspect bats from southern China as the original transmitters of the disease.

Mi Feng, the Chinese National Health Commission spokesman, said the number of new Covid-19 patients in the city was zero.

According to Mi Feng, the zero cases recorded in the city is as a result of coordinated efforts between medical personnel across China.

The lockdown in Wuhan was lifted on April 8 but there are still restrictions in the city as regards public transportation.

According to the UK Guardian, small groups of residents in the central Chinese city were seen on Monday leaving their residential compounds, going to grocery stores and walking along the streets for the first time in weeks.

This comes a day after local authorities said residents could begin returning to work if they did not have a temperature and could provide a green health code, signifying their virus-free status as well as a certificate from their employer.

The city authorities said “The city would be “gradually” reopened and public transportation would resume. Non-residents, those stranded in Wuhan since the stringent travel restrictions went into effect on 23 January, could also begin applying to leave the city”.

The authorities also confirmed that locally transmitted infections in China have dropped dramatically over the last weeks, but imported cases continue to rise.

On Monday, China reported 39 new cases from the previous day, all of which were from imported cases, according to the National Health Commission.