Two new studies reveal coronavirus pandemic's controversial origins

The actual origins of the coronavirus pandemic, which claimed over 6 million lives across the world, continue to be a mystery. The mystery of the virus has piqued great interest from researchers across the world. However, according to an AP report, two new studies now provide more evidence that the Covid-19 virus originated in a market in China's Wuhan, where live animals were sold.

The two new studies also bolster the theory that the coronavirus pandemic emerged from the wild rather than escaping from a lab in China. The study, published in Science journal on Tuesday, shows that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale market was likely the epicentre of the scourge.

The scientists have concluded that "the virus that causes Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2, likely spilt from animals into people two separate times."

The data collected by Chinese scientists, University of Arizona's evolutionary biologist Michael Worobey and his colleagues, used mapping tools to estimate the locations of more than 150 early Covid-19 cases which were reported in December 2019. As per the AP report, "They asked, “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 centred on this market,” Worobey said at a press briefing."

Kristian Andersen, a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research and co-author of one of the studies, said that they found clusters inside the market as well. She further added, "All this evidence tells us the same thing: It points right to this particular market in the middle of Wuhan."

In the other study, scientists analysed the genomic diversity of the coronavirus, both inside and outside of China. The genomic diversity was started with the earliest sample genomes in December 2019, extending through mid-February 2020. They found two lineages- A and B, marked the beginning of the pandemic in Wuhan.

However, the origin remains controversial. While many scientists believe that the lab leak is a more plausible theory and that the WHO was quick to dismiss it, others are open to both possibilities.