The World Health Organization on Tuesday released a report on their joint study with Chinese experts in Wuhan on COVID-19 origin-tracing.

File photo: AFP

Experts from the WHO and China "reviewed data from published studies from different countries suggesting early circulation" of COVID-19, the report said.

The findings showed that "some of the suspected positive samples were detected even earlier than the first case in Wuhan, suggesting the possibility of missed circulation in other countries," the report said, adding that "Nonetheless, it is important to investigate these potential early events."

The report said that COVID-19 introduction through a laboratory incident was considered to be an "extremely unlikely" pathway, refuting conspiracy theories that the virus was leaked from a lab in China.

As a part of global scientific research on the origin of the novel coronavirus, Chinese experts and the WHO experts worked together in Wuhan from January 14 to February 10 this year.

(With input from Xinhua)