Animal source of the coronavirus continues to elude scientists

Animal source of the coronavirus continues to elude scientists



Animals, such as minks, that can be infected with the coronavirus could reveal clues about the virus’s origins. (Jorma Luhta/Nature Picture Library)

Animal source still eludes scientists

Researchers are using computer models, cell studies and animal experiments to discover the intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2. Researchers overwhelmingly think that the virus originated in the wild in bats, and moved to people through another species — but no one has found the virus in the wild yet. Pangolins were among the first suspected, but the link is far from confirmed. “It is quite possible we won’t find it. In fact, it would be exceptionally lucky if we land on something,” says geneticist Lucy van Dorp.
Nature | 7 min read