Origin of Covid-19

Have you got clear in your own mind what the origin of Covid-19 was? One strong initial belief around the world was that the virus originated in a wet market in Wuhan. The consensus was that it came originally from bats, possibly through pangolins as intermediaries.

However, there are other theories of course. According to a recent King’s College survey in early April, 25 per cent of the British public believe the virus originated in a lab. On the fringes, we have had the spread of conspiracy theories such as the virus was caused by the introduction of 5G mobile phone technology. Or, according to some Chinese officials, that it was American soldiers who originally brought the virus to Wuhan.

One authoritative scientific study published last month in the Nature Medicine journal has already given an indication that the origins of the virus may not be as straightforward as originally thought. It concluded that there was no evidence that the virus was created in a laboratory or otherwise engineered. Instead, the study says Covid-19 is the product of natural evolution. The full article is very complex but you can also read a summary of its findings here.

Other new information is cropping up all the time. Germany’s leading coronavirus expert, Christian Drosten, has offered a different perspective. He said he didn’t assume that the virus originated at a Wuhan food market but it was more likely to have been where the animal – the intermediate host – was bred.

His belief is that it could well have been raccoon dogs that were the hosts, not pangolins. The relevant answers are half way down an interview published yesterday but it’s worth reading the whole of it. Drosten has some fascinating insights on herd immunity, and why Angela Merkel’s scientific background makes her a good leader during this pandemic crisis.

In the light of all this wide-ranging information I am trying to keep an open mind. More information and possible evidence is likely to emerge in the months ahead. It’s important to be on one’s guard when various individuals and interest groups are trying to push their own theories for political and other reasons.