Beijing, Apr 8 (Prensa Latina) Chinese scientists reported today that people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus were able to transmit it to “susceptible animals” at the seafood market in Wuhan, then more individuals present at the scene were infected and developed the infection. Covid-19.
Tong Yigang, dean of a faculty at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told reporters that all samples from the animals collected at the site between January and March 2020 were negative, but 73 samples taken in the environment were positive. .
As he explained, the researchers analyzed a total of more than 1,300 samples and discovered a genetic sequence almost identical to that of the first confirmed patients with Covid-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
“This finding suggests that the virus was introduced into the (Huanan) market by human carriers,” Tong said, though he stressed that there is still no conclusive evidence for that hypothesis.
The origin of the Covid-19 pandemic remains unidentified, some theories point to the animal nature of the coronavirus and others point to the escape from a laboratory. The latter is promoted mainly by the United States.
During the press conference this Saturday, other academics denied accusations that China withheld essential information on the first cases of Covid-19 and called on the World Health Organization (WHO) not to allow the politicization of the issue.
Shen Hongbing, head of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, considered the statements in this regard by some experts and agency officials irresponsible and offensive, after recalling that the joint study determined the leak of the virus from a laboratory to be “extremely unlikely”. Chinese.
He revealed that the Asian giant continued to investigate the matter from other angles and shared the results with the international community.
Zhou Lei, an academic at the Center, said the Asian nation remains willing to join forces with the rest of the world to trace the origin of the Covid-19 pandemic, but the study should be extended to other nations.
He stressed that China has always cooperated with the WHO in an “open, objective and scientific” manner, twice invited foreign professionals to investigate the matter, and also since 2020 published numerous materials and data on public platforms.
