A scientist from China has suggested that humans may be a possible origin of the COVID-19 virus. Tong Yigang, a researcher at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, conducted a study in which he found that the genetic sequences of viral samples taken from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan were very similar to those of infected patients. This suggests that COVID-19 may have originated from humans.
Tong presented his findings at a press conference held by the Chinese State Council regarding the research on the origins of COVID-19. He also expressed his view that recent studies claiming that raccoon dogs were the origin of the virus were not backed by sufficient evidence.
Zhou Lei, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), urged the world to collaborate in the scientific study to trace the origins of the virus. “The site where COVID-19 was first discovered was not necessarily where it originated,” Zhou said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has criticized China for not providing enough data about the beginnings of the outbreak. Last week, the head of the WHO program on emerging diseases said that the organization “still did not have key data from China about the beginnings of the outbreak, a lack of disclosure [which] was simply inexcusable.”
However, China denies the allegations and claims to be transparent and cooperative with the WHO and other investigators. The country has been castigated for not allowing international investigators seeking probes to trace the origins of COVID-19.
The origins of COVID-19 have been a topic of intense debate and speculation since the outbreak began. Recently, a report by the US Department of Energy suggested that the virus was most likely the result of an accident in a laboratory, although China rejects this theory. Zhou Lei also rejected the theory of a lab leak, stating that it is “extremely unlikely” that the virus originated from a Chinese lab as a result of an accident.
The search for the origins of COVID-19 is ongoing, and it remains to be seen where the virus truly originated. However, as more information becomes available, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is a complex issue that will require collaboration and cooperation from all parties involved.
