TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — COVID-19 came from an animal market in China, not from a virus lab there. That’s the conclusion of a University of Arizona researcher and other researchers who worked to trace where the pandemic began.
There has been deep suspicion that COVID was a lab leak released from a Chinese virus research laboratory in Wuhan, the Chinese city where COVID was first observed. A UArizona researcher was part of a team that feels it has solid proof humans caught the virus from a different source.
UArizona scientist Michael Worobey is a specialist in how viruses develop and evolve. He says at one time he thought it was at least worth checking whether COVID was a lab leak from a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan China.
But his research led him to conclude it’s far more likely the virus moved from animals to humans in what’s called a wet market, where shoppers buy live, exotic animals to kill and eat. He says in the huge city of Wuhan there was a strong pattern of COVID cases spreading from just one spot.
He says, “The epidemiological preponderance of cases linked to the market is not a mirage. It's a real thing. It was there before anyone knew about the market in the earliest hospitalized cases.”
Worobey says that hospital case data was before the market was suspected as a source.
“Of all the places in this 8000 square kilometer greater Wuhan area of all the locations that the early cases could have lived. Where did they live? And it turned out when we were able to look at this, there was this extraordinary pattern where the highest density of cases was both extremely near to and very centered on this market.”
Three other researchers joined Worobey in this conclusion during a news conference hosted by the prestigious American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The researchers understand skeptics have embraced the lab leak theory—and they may be more skeptical because the researchers used data gathered by Chinese scientists.
Joel Wertheim of University of California at San Diego says, “The data that came from China looks like the data that came from everywhere else in the world and there's no inconsistency there. So I have no reason to doubt the veracity of the genomic data produced by Chinese scientists.”
The researchers say Chinese scientists they worked with share their dedication to truthful research, even if the Chinese government is not happy with either theory of how the virus got started.
Worobey says, “The Chinese are not fans of the lab leak theory and they are not fans of the idea that this virus emerged from the wildlife trade at the Huanan market.”
Worobey and the other researchers say now the real point is not to assess blame. It’s to learn lessons to help the world prepare for the next pandemic.
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Craig Smith is a reporter for KGUN 9. With more than 40 years of reporting in cities like Tampa, Houston and Austin, Craig has covered more than 40 Space Shuttle launches and covered historic hurricanes like Katrina, Ivan, Andrew and Hugo. Share your story ideas and important issues with Craig by emailing craig.smith@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook and Twitter.
