Where did the coronavirus come from? | COVID-19 Special

Where did the virus behind COVID-19 come from? It's a question that's dogged researchers since the early days of the pandemic. Most maintain it jumped from bats to humans in a Chinese market. Some claim it could have other origins – in particular, a breakout from a lab working with viruses.
Getting answers hasn't been easy. China has been guarded. And scientists warn that the window to finding COVID's true origin is closing fast.
The debate that has turned highly-political, at times threatening to overshadow management of the pandemic itself.
Solving the puzzle is still critical. Determining the origin of Sars-Cov-2 could help outbreaks of new diseases, and stop future pandemics before they start.
A new US-intelligence report also fails to settle on an origin theory. But it does give a small peek into the ongoing debate. An unclassified summary of that report says outright that it's unlikely the virus was developed as a biological weapon, or that Chinese officials even knew about the virus. Most intelligence agencies in the US still think it was a transmission that occurred outside of the lab. But the report doesn't dismiss the lab-accident theory, saying one agency concluded that account was more probable, while two other agencies said they couldn't reject the idea.
The report said more evidence is needed, in particular early clinical samples of the virus. That appears unlikely to happen, and it means the debate over origin will continue.

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[dwnews]

As always, we'd love to include your questions in our upcoming shows! What would you like to know about the coronavirus pandemic? #askDerrick

[raraavis]

This is a topic that the whole world needs to keep going until we get to the bottom of it.

[MrFacemeltify]

It has to be pointed out that Members of the WHO investigation team had major conflicts of interest, like Peter Dazak and Marion Koopmans, who receive millions for the same gain of function research being done at the lab, which would be at risk if that were found to be the cause. Dazak also has deep professional and financial relationship with the WIV and CCP. It's like asking members of the oil lobby to investigate climate change.

Also, not only were the bats and pangolins being blamed for animal transfer not being sold at the wet market as claimed, their natural habitat is in a completely different region. If it were passed form an animal, the likelihood is that the origin would be in South China like with SARs, not in a central region they aren't even natural too.

[ryanm]

Why isn't the public questioning this more? Trillions of dollars in damage, millions of lives lost, and regular life put on pause but no one is being held accountable?

[aivytran]

Remember that China used to point finger everywhere from frozen food...Italy and now the US but themselve.

[karolinaC]

Let me tell you something: if one agency states that something is “highly probable” and the other two say that they can not dismiss the theory, then that means that that was the case; intel in the unclassified part of the report will never tell you the exact story

[Astarath]

It came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. End of story.

[ini]

China should reward the whole world
In particular, the image of Asia has been too tarnished.

[metalfly.]

To save 11min, nobody knows for certain and probably never will.

[palukens]

Um, This is a man made bio weapon bro.

[somrajchakraborty]

Forget herd immunity, when will we achieve herd intelligence?
This is the reason why even aliens pity us!!

[iszotic]

I love the vagueness of the intro, 0:18 "working on viruses", putting a little more syllables "working on gain-of-function research on coronaviruses" would have conveyed way more information, but it becomes prohibitively political, I guess

[jpsrdet]

Created in China, founded by USA, Canada, Germany, banks, companies, who etc

[mikecummings]

It's just a coincidence that that evil lab is the same town it came from

[panoptijohn]

Which country silenced whistleblowers, denied, for weeks, the existence of human-to-human transmission, permitted infected persons to travel abroad, and destroyed vital early samples?

[soulovelee_]

2:50 why would you work on making viruses more infectious?

[DifeiYao]

DW, do you remember credibility of WMD in Iraq? What was Colin Powell's " concrete evidence"?

[dd]

this is how horrible DW is.
video showing Indonesia market (selling bats), none stop speaking CHINA CHINA CHINA.

those peoples in the market without face showing.(Indonesian looks different from Chinese face)

[Ric]

It came from a LAB. And CHINA wants that window to close fast, so this is a problem when working with China and other Asian markets.

[robbebrecx]

Isn't it clear? If the origin was from a marketplace why would China be covering things up about the origin? Why would you pressure economicly countries that ask the question about the origin? If it did come from a market why would you do this, if you don't have something to hide you don't do this. It just is likely that this was an accident in the laboratory since it originated in Wuhan the place where we have a research on this virus. If it was an accident it would make sense that China acts in this way. We need to know and the problem is that China just isn't transparent this is the real issue what you should discus.