Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. At first it seemed likely that the virus had been transmitted from bats to humans via an “intermediate" animal that was infected outside the city and then sold at the market.
This was how SARS first emerged 20 years ago. In 2021 researchers confirmed that live animals, as well as fish and meat, had been sold at the market in November 2019, when the first infections may have occurred.
On March 20th a new report by an international group of scientists—based on analysis of the genetic sequences of samples taken from the market in January 2020 by Chinese researchers—confirmed the presence of animals such as raccoon dogs, weasels, foxes, hedgehogs, porcupines and bamboo rats.
The raccoon dog, which can carry and transmit this virus, is of particular note. But there is no way of proving from the available data that these animals transmitted SARS-CoV2 to humans.