Wuhan Raccoon Dogs Identified as Possible COVID-19 Origin

A new analysis of genetic information suggests that raccoon dogs being sold at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, could have been carrying and shedding the SARS-CoV-2 virus at the time, potentially making them a source of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings, which have not been published, were presented to the World Health Organization’s Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens. The lab-leak versus natural origins debate continues, with proponents of the lab-leak theory arguing that COVID-19 originated from a Chinese research lab, while opponents argue that there isn’t enough evidence to suggest there was a lab leak.