Photo taken on Jan 22, 2020 shows an exterior view of the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.Photo:Xinhua

A European biologist has come to the fore with a startling claim that a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group on tracing the origins of pathogens, including the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, would become a "political tool." 

Bearing the name Wilson Edwards, the person took to social media, including Facebook and Twitter, on July 24 to describe how much he was worried about the"WHO's independence."

On July 16, the WHO announced establishing the International Scientific Advisory Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens (SAGO), which Edwards said is a result of political pressure from the US.

Edwards went on to say that some of his fellow researchers were under "enormous pressure" and "intimidation" from the US and some media outlets after they voiced support for the conclusions of the China-WHO joint study on the origins of COVID-19 in central China's Wuhan. 

Edwards claimed that the US was seeking to discredit the qualifications of the scientists involved in the study.

"The US is so obsessed with attacking China on the origin-tracing issue that it is reluctant to open its eyes to the data and findings," Edwards quoted a WHO source as saying.