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Geographical clustering of the earliest known COVID-19 cases and the proximity of positive environmental samples to live animal vendors suggest that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China – and not a laboratory leak – was the site of origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using spatial analyses, US-based researchers suggest in separate studies that the earliest known COVID-19 cases diagnosed in December 2019 were geographically distributed near to, and centered on, this market.
Combining spatial and genomic data, the research suggests that both the two early lineages of SARS-CoV-2 have a clear association with the Huanan market.
The studies also suggest that live mammals, including raccoon dogs, were sold at the market in late 2019 and geospatial analyses within the market show that SARS-CoV-2-positive environmental samples were strongly associated with vendors selling live animals.
Together, these analyses provide evidence for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 via the live wildlife trade and identify the Huanan market as the unambiguous epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Photo Credit Noel Celis AFP/Getty)
