The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday during a media briefing said that the novel coronavirus originated in China's Wuhan late last year had an animal origin and was not produced in any form nor was it manipulated in a laboratory. WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib in her Geneva news briefing stated, "All available evidence suggests the virus has an animal origin and is not manipulated or constructed in a lab or somewhere else,". She added saying it is unclear as to how the virus jumped onto humans, but mentioned there "certainly" had been an intermediate animal host. Chaid said, "It most likely has its ecological reservoir in bats but how the virus came from bats to humans is still to be seen and discovered."

WHO says coronavirus has an animal origin and no lab manipulation

Chaib chose not to respond to explaining in detail regarding the possibility of the virus escaping from a lab, which in turn was a reference to US President Donald Trump's statements last week about his government's efforts to determine whether the COVID-19 outbreak had its origins in a Wuhan lab. Incidentally, the Wuhan Institute of Virology had dismissed the rumors of them developing the virus nor being a reason for it escape.

WHO says coronavirus has an animal origin and no lab manipulation

On being asked about Trump's decision to suspend funding to the WHO owing to its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world, Chaib, "We are still assessing the situation about the announcement by President Trump ...and we will assess the situation and we will work with our partners to fill any gaps." She then went on to speak about WHO's role saying, "It is very important to continue what we are doing not only for COVID but for many, many, many, many other health programmes," referring to the Geneva-vased health agency's actions against polio, HIV and malaria among other diseases.

WHO says coronavirus has an animal origin and no lab manipulation