Origin and spread of the coronavirus
Where did the COVID-19 originate from?
The evolution of the novel coronavirus is complex. It might have jumped hosts from bats to humans, but also carries genetic material from a coronavirus from an animal called the pangolin. This is only one example of infections moving from animals to humans, and re-emphasises the importance of “one-health”, which aims to achieve “optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment”.
- Li et al., Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 through Recombination and Strong Purifying Selection, bioRxiv (2020)
- Weston and Frieman, COVID-19: Knowns, Unknowns, and Questions, mSphere (2020)
- Bhatia, Need for integrated surveillance at human-animal interface for rapid detection & response to emerging coronavirus infections using One Health approach, IJMR (2020)
- One Health Basics, CDC