A large group of researchers have over time studied the origin of the coronavirus, and on Tuesday 26 July they published a study in one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals, Science. One of the investigations in the study concluded that the theory that the virus was created in a laboratory can once again be rejected.
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The researchers have looked at the geographical pattern of the pandemics in the first months after the first outbreak in December 2019. There, the data clearly shows one important thing, namely that the first cases of the coronavirus were closely linked to the animal market Huanan Market in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The researchers also found that it was unlikely that the coronavirus had circulated among humans before November 2019.
– Spread from there
In the study, it is simply emphasized “It is not plausible that the virus originated in any other way than through animal trade on the market in Wuhan.»
– It originated on the market and it spread from there, is the crystal clear message from Michael Worobey, according to the Danish Ekstrabladet.
He currently works as a researcher at the University of Arizona, and is one of the authors behind the study that has now been published in the journal Science.
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The summary of the study also states, among other things, the following:
«Although there is insufficient evidence to define what happened in earlier phases, and the exact circumstances remain obscure, our analyzes show that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 occurred through the direct animal trade in China, and that the Huanan market is the epicenter for the covid-19 pandemic», is some of what the researchers write.
WHO-rapport
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) also carried out its own investigations into the origin of the virus. In its first report, which was published at the beginning of June, the expert group concluded that there are still no conclusive findings that can say how the pandemic started.
The team of 27 experts was put together by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year, and will create a global framework for studies into how viruses spread. They were also tasked with looking into the origins of the coronavirus.
– There are key data that are not yet available that are missing for us to have a complete understanding of how the corona pandemic began, the researchers wrote in the report published in June.
The Bat Theory
However, the most credible theory from the WHO is that the virus has been transmitted from bats to humans via a third animal, said research leader Marietjie Venter.
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At the same time, the expert group emphasized that there is a need to carry out new investigations into whether it may have been a laboratory leak that started the pandemic. That theory has always been controversial, especially in China. Three members of the expert group, from China, Russia and Brazil, have objected to that theory being scrutinized further.
– The fact that we include that theory in the report does not mean that it is what we think is true. It just means that we are open to scientific data, so if something new comes out we will not ignore it, Venter added.
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