Investigation into the origin of the coronavirus: what do the experts reveal?

For four weeks, a team of experts has been on site in Wuhan, where the coronavirus epidemic began in December 2019. Their investigation aims to provide evidence of the animal origin of Sars-Cov-2. The scientists held a press conference to share their observations.

In fact, scientific experts have only been doing their research for two weeks, since they must have observed isolation when arriving in China. For the moment, they still evoke hypotheses, devoid of proof. According to the head of the delegation of the World Health Organization, Peter Ben, the animal track remains privileged and “ most likely “. A first contamination would have taken place from an animal (host) to another animal (intermediate host). The latter would in turn have infected humans. In addition, the pangolin has been implicated from the start, while investigators reveal that the animal has ” not yet identified “. However, ” more specific and targeted research Are asked, according to one of the Chinese chief scientists, Liang Wannian.

One of the leads that was the subject of the investigation was an accidental origin. The latter was particularly favored by the former US government under Donald Trump. The new coronavirus is said to have escaped from a Chinese laboratory. However, according to the head of the WHO delegation in Wuhan, this hypothesis is ” highly improbable “.

When the coronavirus epidemic really started. To this question, experts also try to answer. Peter Ben assures us that “thehe first cases of pneumonia attributable to SARS-CoV2 could be market-related in the first half of December, meaning they were infected in early December or late November “. And to add, ” we did not find a trace of the virus until December 2019 in Wuhan or elsewhere “. In addition, scientists evoke the fact that the Sars-Cov-2 virus was able to enter the market ” by a visitor, a supplier or a live or frozen product “. It is therefore difficult to assert anything at this time, because the evidence is lacking. In the meantime, the virus has already infected more than 100 million people and caused more than 2.2 million deaths around the world, according to Public Health France.