Study: Chances of Finding COVID Ancestor 'Almost Nil'
In a recent study published in Nature, researchers found that the virus that causes COVID most likely shared a common ancestor with bat coronaviruses as recently as 2016 — just three years before it appeared in humans.
Facts
- In a recent study published in Nature, researchers found that the virus that causes COVID most likely shared a common ancestor with bat coronaviruses as recently as 2016 — just three years before it appeared in humans. The study showed how it would be nearly impossible to find the direct ancestor, however, because of the frequency in which the virus recombines and the length of time that has lapsed.
- The search for the origin of the virus was catalyzed when former US Pres. Trump suggested the source of the pandemic was a "lab leak" originating from Wuhan, China. The theory was largely dismissed early on by epidemiology researchers as a conspiracy theory, though some have since claimed it's still considered a possibility by government officials "behind closed doors."
- Nearly three years into the pandemic, separate probes from the Lancet and World Health Organization have yielded no significant findings for various reasons.
- The Nature study narrowed the timeline between SARS-CoV-2 originating in bats, and its subsequent jump to humans, but doesn't explain how this jump was made. Many experts agree that there was likely an intermediary animal in the cross-connection.
- Genome sequencing of the virus's closest ancestors and likely hosts suggest that China and Southeast Asia are hot spots for the ancestors of SARS-CoV-2.
Sources: Nature, Telegraph, and Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Intercept. No determination should be made on the origins of COVID until all of the data has been reviewed and analyzed — including the lab leak theory. US federal agencies and universities have additional evidence yet to be analyzed that could shed light on missing information. The National Health Institute has failed to dig deep and has overlooked many details. The agency's failure and lackadaisical attitude are no longer good enough.
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CNN. Countless scientists and researchers across multiple studies have found that the COVID virus originated in a market in Wuhan, China, most likely due to multiple zoonotic events. Though the exact origin may never be known, the next step should be focusing on how to reduce the chances of the next "zoonotic spillover" pandemic through detection, surveillance, monitoring, and prevention.
