Scientists have discovered the origin of the coronavirus

The Huanan Market in Wuhan, China is where the coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread. Scientists from the USA, Great Britain, France and other countries came to this conclusion: their study published in the journal Cell on 19 September.

After analyzing samples of genetic material taken from the market, it turned out that they correspond to the genetic characteristics of the common ancestor of the coronavirus. Signs of coronavirus were found on cages where animals were kept, on carts for transporting them, in sewage drains and in many other places.

The earliest and most cases of COVID-19 were found in the west wing of the market, where most of the wildlife vendors were also located. In late fall 2019, several were illegally selling raccoon dogs, civet cats, bamboo rats, Malayan porcupines, Amur hedgehogs and Asian badgers.

“Huanan market was the place where the most wild animals were sold in Wuhan, a city with a population of more than 12,000,000 people and four live animal markets,” the study said. He also explains two hypothetical options for the spread of the virus: from animals to humans or, on the other hand, humans themselves brought it to market. It was not possible to determine the origin of the virus, but the genetic material of bats was not found, although the World Health Organization (WHO) identified them as one of the most likely sources of infection.