False: Bats are the cause of the 2019 coronavirus outbreak.

By: Aswathi K
July 25 2020

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The source of the novel coronavirus outbreak is not yet found.The handbook published by the Guangzhou government for prevention and treatment of pneumonia caused by the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) reveals that most of the patients infected by the coronavirus have reported that they had exposure to the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, where wild animals were sold for consumption. The handbooks also state that SARS coronavirus, which infected people earlier in China, originated in bats. Since the coronavirus is capable of transmitting from animal to person, it is believed that the initial source of spreading might be either exposure to or consuming wild animals sold in the market which carried the virus (Refer Q.16). According to the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, patients infected with respiratory illness caused by 2019-nCov in Wuhan had links to the large seafood and animal market, which suggests that it might be a source for transmission of the coronavirus from animals to humans. An article published by the medical journal 'The Lancet' on January 24, 2020, revealed that there is uncertainty regarding the source of the 2019 coronavirus infection as no epidemiological evidence was found between the first patient and later cases (Refer Page No.4). It also adds that scientists have observed that bats were the source of infection for SARS and MERS coronaviruses in 2013 (Refer Page No.8). As of July 25, 2020, there is no confirmation on the source of the novel coronavirus outbreak, and none of the credible sources has reported that bats have caused the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19 including symptoms, prevention and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.