The origins of SARS-CoV-2: A critical review

Authors:

• Holmes, Edward C.
• Goldstein, Stephen A.
• Rasmussen, Angela L.
• Robertson, David L.
• Crits-Christoph, Alexander
• Wertheim, Joel O.
• Anthony, Simon J.
• Barclay, Wendy S.
• Boni, Maciej F.
• Doherty, Peter C.
• Farrar, Jeremy
• Geoghegan, Jemma L.
• Jiang, Xiaowei
• Leibowitz, Julian L.
• Neil, Stuart J.D.
• Skern, Tim
• Weiss, Susan R.
• Worobey, Michael
• Andersen, Kristian G.
• Garry, Robert F.
• Rambaut, Andrew

Details:

Cell, Volume 184, Issue 19, 2021-09-16

Article Link: Click here

Since the first reports of a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like coronavirus in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, there has been intense interest in understanding how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in the human population. Recent debate has coalesced around two competing ideas: a “laboratory escape” scenario and zoonotic emergence. Here, we critically review the current scientific evidence that may help clarify the origin of SARS-CoV-2.