COVID-19 is believed to have originated from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China, where many early cases were linked.
The market was a hub for various animals, some of which could have transmitted the virus to humans. Researchers have found genetic material from multiple animal species, such as raccoon dogs, that may have carried SARS-CoV-2.
Although it's still unclear whether these animals were infected or if they contracted the virus from humans, the evidence suggests that the market was likely the site of the initial spillover of the virus from animals to humans.
