The animal origin is the most supported hypothesis regarding the origin of Covid.

The complexity of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 lies not only in the lack of data or political obstacles, but in its own philosophical nature as an emerging phenomenon in an interconnected and opaque system, where multiple causes—biological, ecological, human, and technological—intertwine. More than five years after the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, the origin of the virus continues to be shrouded in uncertainty. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a new and comprehensive report by the SAGO scientific advisory group (an acronym for Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens) which reaffirms the zoonotic origin hypothesis as the most plausible, although it acknowledges that it cannot rule out a possible laboratory accident given the absence of key data from some states. “As long as the requests for additional information are not addressed or more scientific data are not available, the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and how it entered the human population will remain inconclusive,” the text states.

The 80 pages of the report present an updated analysis of all the available evidence as of June 2025, including peer-reviewed publications, preprint studies, government reports, and expert presentations. However, the group acknowledges that “it has not had access to unprocessed original data from any source for the preparation of this report.”

The SAGO group has reexamined four possible scenarios regarding the origin of the virus: natural zoonotic transmission from wild animals or through an intermediate host, a laboratory accident, either during field research or due to biosecurity failures; the introduction through frozen products or, finally, deliberate manipulation of the virus followed by a lab leak.

Regarding frozen products, the report is more definitive: “There is no additional evidence to support this hypothesis” and adds that “it will be reassessed if new evidence emerges.” As for a possible manipulation of the virus, the group also concludes that “no scientific evidence was found to support this hypothesis against the evidence that these mutations and recombination events also occur in coronaviruses in nature.”

The Mysteries of Wuhan

The Huanan market, despite being identified as the initial epicenter, is not necessarily the origin. Initial investigations placed the Huanan wholesale seafood market, in Wuhan, as one of the initial foci of the outbreak, but the report clarifies its role stating that “the data support that it played a significant role in early transmission and amplification, but it is not conclusive that it was the place where the virus was first transmitted to the human population.” Environmental metagenomic analysis detected traces of the virus on market surfaces alongside animal DNA such as raccoon dogs and civets, although none of the live animals tested positive. No studies have been published to clarify whether these animals acted as vectors. “Lack of evidence to confirm this hypothesis, including a thorough investigation of the wildlife species bred and sold in Wuhan,” the report clarifies.