A major international study published yesterday has provided further evidence that the coronavirus pandemic began at a “wet market” in Wuhan, China, rejecting the theory that the virus was leaked from a laboratory.
The research, which analyzed genetic samples from animals sold at market stalls in late 2019, identified traces of the COVID-19 virus in several species.
The study’s lead author, Kristian Andersen from Scripps Research, highlighted the significance of these findings. “This adds another layer to the accumulating evidence that all points to the same scenario: that infected animals were introduced into the market in mid to late November 2019, which sparked the pandemic,” Andersen stated in the document.
The research is the first to identify specific animals that may have played a role in transmitting the virus to humans. Among the animals examined, the raccoon dog—a fox-like species native to East Asia—was suggested to be the primary carrier of the virus. Other species, such as masked palm civets, hoary bamboo rats, and Malayan porcupines, were also found to have been infected with COVID-19 before the virus spread to humans.
Florence Débarre of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, who led the study, noted that while the research provides crucial insights, it may not present a complete picture. “Many of the key animal species were cleared out from the market before the Chinese health team arrived, so this is not a definitive list,” Débarre explained.
The study refutes the alternative theory that COVID-19 originated from a leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This lab leak theory gained attention when FBI Director Christopher Wray said earlier this year that the bureau believes the virus “most likely” originated from a “Chinese government-controlled lab.”
Despite President Joe Biden’s decision to order an investigation into the lab leak theory, this latest study insists that the pandemic began at the market, as initially reported. The researchers based their conclusions on a new analysis of data released by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
