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There have been plenty of theories about where the coronavirus originated. Was the virus created in a lab? Did it come from a certain animal? Well, a study published in Nature Microbiology states a group of scientists believes they now know where it came from.
The study reveals that SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has a lineage that has been around in bats.
The virus reportedly evolved from other bat viruses from as many as 70 years ago.
“Collectively our analyses point to bats being the primary reservoir for the SARS-CoV-2 lineage. While it is possible that pangolins, or another hitherto undiscovered species, may have acted as an intermediate host facilitating transmission to humans, current evidence is consistent with the virus having evolved in bats resulting in bat sarbecoviruses that can replicate in the upper respiratory tract of both humans and pangolins,” the study reads.
“The lineage giving rise to SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating unnoticed in bats for decades.”
Well, there we have it.
Many believe initially joked that the outbreak began after someone ate a bat in Wuhan and, while that has still not been proven, this will certainly flame the fire for those conspiracy theorists.
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 6.7 million confirmed cases and 198,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
