The Covid-19 pandemic, which has transformed the course of humanity since late 2019, has been surrounded by theories about its origin. One of the most debated has been the possibility that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, was developed in a laboratory and accidentally released.
However, a new study led by scientist Kristian Andersen of the Scripps Research Institute in the United States seems to have discovered the true origin of the pandemic, supporting an alternative explanation that had already been discussed by other experts.
Andersen, who has led research into the origin of SARS-CoV-2, has ruled out the theory that the virus was created in a laboratory and then escaped. Together with his team, he has focused on analyzing the genetic characteristics of the virus and the circumstances surrounding the first outbreaks.
In their investigation, they found no evidence to support the idea that Covid-19 was the result of human manipulation. Although they confirmed that the first cases of the disease were reported in China, the exact location of the emergence of the virus remains unknown.
**The connection with animals**
Over time, several theories have suggested a zoonotic origin for Covid-19, meaning that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. What sets Andersen’s study apart is the robustness of the evidence supporting this theory.
According to scientists at Scripps Research, Covid-19 likely emerged from infected animals sold in wet markets in Wuhan, China. Andersen said: “This adds a new layer to the accumulating evidence suggesting that infected animals were introduced to the market in mid- to late November 2019, triggering the pandemic.”
**The raccoon dog as patient zero?**
One of the most important findings of this study is the identification of animals that could have been carriers of the virus before it infected humans.
The raccoon dog stands out as one of the prime suspects, as it is common in the wildlife trade at these markets. Alongside it, other possible carriers include masked palm civets, hoary bamboo rats and Malayan porcupines.
The choice of these animals is not arbitrary; they are known to be linked to the first documented outbreaks of Covid-19 and have a history of carrying other coronaviruses.
**Wuhan market: epicenter of the outbreak**
The connection between animals and humans is established in the wet markets of Wuhan, where close contact between people and wildlife is common. Andersen and his team argue that most of the first people infected with the coronavirus were workers or customers of these markets, supporting the theory that the virus was transmitted through the animals sold there. By the end of 2019, these markets offered not only local species but also exotic animals, which may have facilitated the transfer of the virus.
The Covid-19 pandemic, which has transformed the course of humanity since late 2019, has been surrounded by theories about its origin. One of the most debated has been the possibility that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease, was developed in a laboratory and accidentally released.
However, a new study led by scientist Kristian Andersen of the Scripps Research Institute in the United States seems to have discovered the true origin of the pandemic, supporting an alternative explanation that had already been discussed by other experts.
Andersen, who has led research into the origin of SARS-CoV-2, has ruled out the theory that the virus was created in a laboratory and then escaped. Together with his team, he has focused on analyzing the genetic characteristics of the virus and the circumstances surrounding the first outbreaks.
In their investigation, they found no evidence to support the idea that Covid-19 was the result of human manipulation. Although they confirmed that the first cases of the disease were reported in China, the exact location of the emergence of the virus remains unknown.
**The connection with animals**
Over time, several theories have suggested a zoonotic origin for Covid-19, meaning that the virus was transmitted from animals to humans. What sets Andersen’s study apart is the robustness of the evidence supporting this theory.
According to scientists at Scripps Research, Covid-19 likely emerged from infected animals sold in wet markets in Wuhan, China. Andersen said: “This adds a new layer to the accumulating evidence suggesting that infected animals were introduced to the market in mid- to late November 2019, triggering the pandemic.”
**The raccoon dog as patient zero?**
One of the most important findings of this study is the identification of animals that could have been carriers of the virus before it infected humans.
The raccoon dog stands out as one of the prime suspects, as it is common in the wildlife trade at these markets. Alongside it, other possible carriers include masked palm civets, hoary bamboo rats and Malayan porcupines.
The choice of these animals is not arbitrary; they are known to be linked to the first documented outbreaks of Covid-19 and have a history of carrying other coronaviruses.
**Wuhan market: epicenter of the outbreak**
The connection between animals and humans is established in the wet markets of Wuhan, where close contact between people and wildlife is common. Andersen and his team argue that most of the first people infected with the coronavirus were workers or customers of these markets, supporting the theory that the virus was transmitted through the animals sold there. By the end of 2019, these markets offered not only local species but also exotic animals, which may have facilitated the transfer of the virus.
