• A WHO team of 14 experts reports back from their mission in China, where they were investigating the origins of SARS-CoV-2. They praised Chinese officials and acknowledged the possibility that the virus might have spread from contaminated frozen food shipments into people – although the team said a small animal was most likely the source of transmission to humans – and it promised to investigate whether the virus was circulating in other countries before arriving in China. The team also said that it was ‘extremely unlikely “ that the virus originated from a lab accident. Source
• The US FDA grants emergency use authorization for Eli Lilly’s monoclonal antibody treatment, a combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab, used in people with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who are at risk for progression to severe disease. This combination may be more effective against new coronavirus variants than previously approved monoclonal antibody treatments. Source
