New Studies Support Wuhan Market as Pandemic’s Origin Point

Three studies reveal new clues about how the COVID-19 pandemic started. Two of the reports show that the outbreak may have been caused by animals that were sold at a massive market in China. Three preprints were posted on 25 and 26 February, but have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Many of the people who were the first to contract the disease had visited the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. The preprints contain genetic analyses of coronaviruses samples collected from the market and from people who were exposed in December and January 2020, as well as a section of the market where live animals were sold. The source of the outbreak was found in the market, similar to how animal markets were the source of the epidemic.