First Covid-19 Case Was A Vendor In Wuhan Animal Market, Reveals Latest Study

The report mentioned that most early symptomatic cases were linked to the market and it provided strong evidence of a live-animal market origin of the pandemic

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New Delhi: The latest study has divulged details on the first known Covid-19 case at the epicenter of the pandemic in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The study has revealed that the first Covid-19 case was a vendor in a large Wuhan animal market and not an accountant who lived many miles away.

The origin of the deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19 is still shrouded in mystery and remains a major source of tension between China and the United States.

The report published in the prestigious journal Science on Thursday goes on to revive the debate whether the pandemic started with spillover from wildlife sold at the market, a leak from a Wuhan virology lab, or some other way.

A joint study of China and the World Health Organization (WHO) this year had ruled out the theory that covid-19 originated in a laboratory pointing out that the most likely hypothesis was that it infected humans naturally, probably via the wildlife trade, according to news agency Reuters.

A WHO-led team of experts had spent almost four weeks in and around the central city of Wuhan with Chinese scientists and concluded its joint report in March that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is most likely transmitted from bats to humans through another animal but noted that further research was required.

The accountant, who has been assumed to be the first case, reported his first symptoms appeared on December 16, several days later than initially known, Michael Worobey, head of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, said the study published in the journal Science on Thursday.

Several experts, including one of the pandemic investigators chosen by the WHO., said Worobey’s research was sound and that the first known case of Covid was most likely a seafood vendor.

The confusion was caused by a dental problem he had on December 8.  “His symptom onset came after multiple cases in workers at Huanan Market, making a female seafood vendor there the earliest known case, with illness onset 11 December,” the study added, according to the agency.

The report mentioned that most early symptomatic cases were linked to the market, specifically to the western section where raccoon dogs were caged, and it provided strong evidence of a live-animal market origin of the pandemic.

In October, the WHO has proposed a new expert panel here to investigate the source of the coronavirus.