Future Threats The research, supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and others, shows the commitment to searching for future pandemic threats.
The 40-page manuscript was released on bioRxiv, an open access preprint repository, ahead of peer-review and publication. The comprehensive investigation of the diversity and abundance of vertebrate-associated viruses in game animals in China is the first to assess which species have the greatest potential for carrying viruses that could set off an outbreak.
Scientists have yet to determine the origins of SARS-CoV-2. Debate about its genesis has coalesced around two competing ideas: a laboratory escape or a spillover from animals.