The Origin of COVID-19 and Why It Matters

The COVID-19 pandemic is among the deadliest infectious diseases to have emerged in recent history. As with all past pandemics, the specific mechanism of its emergence in humans remains unknown. Nevertheless, a large body of virologic, epidemiologic, veterinary, and ecologic data establishes that th...

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Published in:The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene Vol. 103; no. 3; p. 955
Main Authors: Morens, David M, Breman, Joel G, Calisher, Charles H, Doherty, Peter C, Hahn, Beatrice H, Keusch, Gerald T, Kramer, Laura D, LeDuc, James W, Monath, Thomas P, Taubenberger, Jeffery K
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.09.2020
Subjects:
Animals
Betacoronavirus - classification
Betacoronavirus - genetics
Betacoronavirus - isolation & purification
Chiroptera - virology
Coronavirus Infections - etiology
Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control
Coronavirus Infections - transmission
COVID-19
Humans
Pandemics - prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral - etiology
Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral - transmission
Public Health
SARS-CoV-2
ISSN:1476-1645, 1476-1645
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:The COVID-19 pandemic is among the deadliest infectious diseases to have emerged in recent history. As with all past pandemics, the specific mechanism of its emergence in humans remains unknown. Nevertheless, a large body of virologic, epidemiologic, veterinary, and ecologic data establishes that the new virus, SARS-CoV-2, evolved directly or indirectly from a β-coronavirus in the sarbecovirus (SARS-like virus) group that naturally infect bats and pangolins in Asia and Southeast Asia. Scientists have warned for decades that such sarbecoviruses are poised to emerge again and again, identified risk factors, and argued for enhanced pandemic prevention and control efforts. Unfortunately, few such preventive actions were taken resulting in the latest coronavirus emergence detected in late 2019 which quickly spread pandemically. The risk of similar coronavirus outbreaks in the future remains high. In addition to controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, we must undertake vigorous scientific, public health, and societal actions, including significantly increased funding for basic and applied research addressing disease emergence, to prevent this tragic history from repeating itself.
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ISSN:1476-1645
1476-1645
DOI:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0849