Coronavirus has claimed the lives of at least 17,250 victims, leading scientist to race to learn about the source of the deadly disease. Now a new study by a team of Chinese scientists indicates coronavirus did not actually originate at a seafood market in the central China city of Wuhan as widely reported.
Consequently the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was instead imported from elsewhere, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Institute for Brain Research have reported.
The crowded market then boosted SARS-CoV-2 circulation and spread it to the whole city in early December 2019
Dr Yu Wenbin
The team, led by Dr Yu Wenbin, sequenced the genomic data of 93 SARS-CoV-2 samples provided by 12 countries in an attempt to hunt the source of the infection and understand how it spreads.
They discovered while the virus had spread rapidly within the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, there had also been had two major population expansions on December 8 and January 6.
According to the study, published on the institute’s website late last week, analysis indicates the coronavirus was actually introduced from outside the market.
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The authors wrote: “The crowded market then boosted SARS-CoV-2 circulation and spread it to the whole city in early December 2019.”
Earlier studies by Chinese health authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO) claimed the first known patient showed symptoms on December 8.
They also reported most of the subsequent cases had links to the Huanan seafood market, which was closed on January 1.
The researchers now believe it was possible the virus began spreading from person to person as early as late November, following analysis of genome data.
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They wrote: “The study concerning whether Huanan market is the only birthplace of SARS-CoV-2 is of great significance for finding its source and determining the intermediate host, so as to control the epidemic and prevent it from spreading again.”
The scientists added although China’s National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 2 emergency warning about the new coronavirus on January 6, the information was not widely shared.
The authors wrote: “If the warning had attracted more attention, the number of cases both nationally and globally in mid-to-late January would have been reduced.
Meanwhile, Xiang Nijuan, a researcher at the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, yesterday warned in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV people infected with the new coronavirus were contagious two days before they showed any symptoms.
He said anyone who had been in close contact with someone within 48 hours of them being confirmed as infected should put themselves in isolation for a fortnight.
The development coincided with worrying coronavirus developments in South Korea, Italy and Iran.
South Korea has raised its coronavirus alert to the “highest level” as confirmed case numbers keep rising.
President Moon Jae-in said the country faced “a grave turning point”, and the next few days would be crucial in the battle to contain the outbreak.
Six people have died from the virus in South Korea and more than 600 have been infected.
Meanwhile, Italy and Iran have announced steps to try to contain worrying outbreaks of the virus.
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