Covid-19 origin likely from bats, animal hosts as pathway: WHO study

A spillover from bats via another animal is the most likely scenario in the report, followed by direct spillover.

The coronavirus probably spread from bats to humans via another animal, according to the long-awaited results of a joint World Health Organization-China study into the origins of Covid-19.

The authors suggest that the most productive research would be to find such an animal link, saying the hypothesis of lab leaks was extremely unlikely, according to a draft of the report, which was obtained by Bloomberg News before it’s due to be published Tuesday. The scientists suggested future studies take a wider geographical approach, including Southeast Asia, and investigate susceptible animal species more closely.

The findings mirror what researchers said last month, at