Researchers in China believe that the Coronavirus could have originated from fruit bats as people eating Bat and its soup are going viral on social media.
In the Chinese Science Bulletin, experts said fruit bats could have hosted the virus.
The same thing happened with SARS.
A statement that was published in the South China Morning Post said, “The Wuhan coronavirus’ natural host could be bats… but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate.”
The statement came after videos of people eating bat soup went viral on social media.
Bat soup is considered a delicacy in some parts of China.
Videos and images that are surfing on social media show a bat floating inside a bowl of broth.
Some videos show women and other people eating a bat with a pair of chopsticks.
Scientists are still not sure how the coronavirus managed to spread.
The report did find that the virus has a strong binding affinity to a human protein that is called ACE2. This binding protein has a high resemblance to the SARS virus that led to an epidemic in China from 2002 to 2003.
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is believed to be related to the coronavirus.
An unnamed researcher from the Wuhan Institute of Virology said, “It is based on a calculation by a computer model. Whether it will match what happens in real life is inconclusive.”
The researcher, who didn’t want to be named, added, “The binding protein is important, but it is just one of the many things under investigation. There may be other proteins involved.”
Other reports claim the virus originated at a seafood market in Wuhan, Eastern China, where other animals were being sold.
The Huanan Seafood market in Wuhan, China was reportedly selling koalas, snakes, rats, and wolf puppies to locals ahead of the outbreak.
Right now, officials and researchers are investigating if the wild animal that brought the virus was sold at the venue.
In a desperate attempt to contain the virus, which has taken the lives of 41 people and has infected over 900 people, the market has been labeled as ground zero by the authorities.
The Hunan Seafood Market has also been shut down.