A photo taken in the late hours of Aug 17, 2020 shows a sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) at their headquarters in Geneva amid the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus. (Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP)

GENEVA - The findings of a WHO-led mission to Wuhan, China to investigate the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19 are expected in mid-March, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

“The current timing is the week of 14th-15th March,” Peter Ben Embarek, the head of the mission, told a Geneva news briefing.

READ MORE: China mission a success, says WHO team leader

The current timing (of hte release of the report) is the week of 14th-15th March.

 Peter Ben Embarek, head of WHO-led Wuhan mission

Ben Embarek, a WHO expert on diseases that cross from animals to humans, had said at the end of the mission last month that the virus probably originated in bats, although it was not certain how it reached humans. He also effectively ruled out a lab leak.

WHO officials had earlier said that the mission might issue a summary report before its full findings were ready. This is no longer planned.

“What the team has done to their credit is really worked hard to try to come up with their full report so we can have a proper discussion around the full report,” said Mike Ryan, WHO’s top emergency expert.

ALSO READ: WHO: COVID-19 origin-tracing mission in Wuhan independent

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “I would like to assure you everything that happened during the trip will be presented transparently."