Chinese scientists have released a new report that casts greater doubt on the COVID-19 origin theory that revolves around animals transferring the virus to humans at a Wuhan wet market. This comes despite the Chinese government standing by its claim that COVID’s natural origin theory is the likely source.
The highly anticipated report doesn’t completely debunk the theory, but it found no evidence of a COVID-19 transfer between animals and humans after examining new samples. The evidence suggests instead a wet market is not a likely origin.
Scientists from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said the virus was present at a seafood wet market at the center of the natural origin theory. Out of 457 samples from animals, in and around the market, all of them came back negative for COVID-19.
Scientists did find 73 out of 923 samples from stalls around the market came back positive for COVID-19, meaning the virus was present, just not in any of the samples from animals.
Independent experts said this data is one of the most important sets the world has seen since the beginning of the pandemic, although there is skepticism the origin of COVID-19 will ever be known.
The Chinese scientists say the question over how COVID-19 started remains open.
