Chinese study links raccoon dogs to Wuhan market

(NewsNation) — A new report from Chinese scientists published Wednesday shows large amounts of the COVID-19 virus mixed in with genetic material from raccoon dogs at an outdoor wet market. The data seems to point to the virus possibly emerging at the Wuhan market where a variety of animals and wildlife are sold.

The study focuses on different swabs taken in early 2020 from the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where reports say many people with some of the earliest known cases of COVID-19 either worked or shopped.

The scientists behind the study, many associated with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, found that large amounts of the samples testing positive for COVID-19 were traced back to raccoon dogs and other animals, especially from one corner of the wet market where exotic wildlife was sold.

There was an earlier version of the study published in February of last year that did not mention the discovery of raccoon dog material. The study published Wednesday in Nature says it’s an “unedited version” that “will undergo further editing” and “there may be errors present.” The study says the origins of COVID-19 remain uncertain but researchers “confirmed the existence of raccoon dogs” at the market.

The research adds to the raging debate of whether COVID-19 came from a lab leak or natural transmission. The study serves as a potential counterpoint to the lab leak theory, once viewed by some as a debunked fringe conspiracy. However, the idea that COVID-19 did not start from a wet market and instead escaped the Wuhan Institute of Neurology is gaining steam.

It’s now the lead theory at the FBI. Director of the FBI Christopher Wray recently said, “The FBI has assessed for quite some time now that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.”

According to reports, the Department of Energy has made a similar assessment, but the U.S. government does not yet have one official finding.

The 2021 report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence gives weight to both the natural transmission and lab leak theories.

Congress unanimously sent a bill to President Joe Biden which calls for declassifying information involving COVID origins. The president signed that bill and the White House tells NewsNation that Biden remains open-minded.

NewsNation is told the declassification process is already underway. The Director of National Intelligence has somewhere between early to the middle of June to release this information. There will likely be a lot of people involved in the process since there are 18 different agencies within the intelligence community.