Recent data reveals raccoon dogs participated in Covid pandemic origins
Date
12/20/2023 6:41:18 AM
(MENAFN) As debates surrounding the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic persist, the World health Organization (WHO) has introduced a significant piece to the puzzle with the unveiling of new genetics data. This analysis, centered on genetic sequences collected from a Wuhan market where the virus is believed to have made the leap to humans, introduces the possibility that raccoon dogs could have played a role in transmitting the virus at the onset of the pandemic in late 2019.
The revelation, initially reported by United States news magazine The Atlantic, is described by experts as "some of the strongest support" for the theory that the virus originated naturally from animals before infecting humans. The WHO clarified that the data was collected by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in early 2020, coinciding with the market's closure. However, this crucial evidence did not appear on a global genomic database until March 2023.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a briefing on Friday, emphasized the imperative need for immediate sharing of all data related to studying the origins of Covid-19 with the international community. He called on China to provide additional information, noting that the recently revealed data could have been shared three years ago.
The Atlantic's report, based on the work of three researchers, highlighted the presence of Covid-positive samples in the global genomic database, containing genetic material from animals. Notably, the DNA matched that of raccoon dogs. The revelation adds a compelling layer to the ongoing discussions about whether the virus emerged naturally or through a laboratory incident.
Mike Ryan, Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, echoed the sentiment that this new genetic data contributes another crucial element to the overall understanding of the Covid-19 origins. As the international community grapples with the intricacies of the pandemic's genesis, the spotlight now shines on the role of raccoon dogs and their potential involvement in the early stages of the virus's transmission to humans.
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