The new coronavirus may have passed from the bat to humans via another animal. This is the conclusion of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) who, together with a Chinese team, investigated how the corona pandemic could have arisen.
The hypothesis of an escape from a laboratory in Wuhan, discussed by Trump, among others, is considered “extremely unlikely”. The Chinese hypothesis that the virus would have been introduced via frozen food is also not considered very likely.
The new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) first appeared in Wuhan’s Chinese city at the end of 2019. The COVID-19 disease would eventually lead to an unprecedented pandemic.
A team from the WHO was admitted by the Chinese authorities and, together with a Chinese team, investigated how the pandemic might have started between mid-January and mid-February. The conclusions have been awaited for a long time, significantly since the report’s release has already been delayed several times.
The question was whether humans had gotten it directly from the bat or not. The researchers leave that possibility open, but they think it more likely that a second animal, such as mink, pangolin or cat, was among them. In these animals, types of coronavirus have been found that are very similar to the latest coronavirus that appeared in humans.
