Not the time for finger pointing on the origins of Covid-19, says Prof Karim
Karim said it was in everyone’s interest that the true origins of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, first reported in China in late 2019, were verified.
PRETORIA, July 23 (ANA) – Respected South African epidemiologist Professor Salim Abdool Karim has appealed for “cool heads”, and a reliance on facts and transparency during ongoing investigations into the origins of the Covid-19 virus, which has so far killed more than four million people around the world.
In an interview with Chinese international broadcaster Phoenix TV, Karim said it was in everyone’s interest that the true origins of the SARS-Cov-2 virus, first reported in China in late 2019, were verified.
“It’s very important that we identify sources of new viruses because it gives us clues as to what we can expect in the future. For example, we understand that the first SARS-Cov coronavirus probably came from bats via civet into humans. We need to ensure that we collect the data to understand that for SARS-Cov-2,” he said.
“We must do that in a scientifically rigorous way. This is not a time for political posturing and finger pointing. This is a time for cool heads to make sure we collect the scientific evidence. And we need all the authorities to cooperate.”
Karim, the former chief ministerial advisor on Covid-19 in South Africa, stressed that the process must be transparent “so that all the different possibilities are explored, the evidence is collected and the answers are obtained”.
“It’s in everyone’s interest to get an answer that is scientifically credible,” he added.
Karim also told Phoenix TV that South Africa had been following a very stringent path in the testing and approval of vaccines – for the safety of its population.
Earlier this month, the Chinese embassy welcomed the approval of the Chinese-manufactured Sinovac vaccine by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
This followed months of lobbying by activists and political parties, particularly the Julius Malema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
“South Africa has quite a rigorous regulatory process. And when we look at the approvals that they have made, they have ensured that medications that are approved are of high-quality, that they are safe and they are effective,” said Karim, who is the director of the Centre for the AIDS program of Research in South Africa.
“I would assume no differently for this vaccine or for any of the other coronavirus vaccines.”
– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa
