evidence: New genetic research points to Wuhan animal market as origin of COVID pandemic, study says [...] The root cause of the pandemic has been hotly debated since its early days. Wuhan is home to a government laboratory where scientists study coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2, a fact that prompted politicians, national security experts, late-night talk show hosts and many scientists — including Worobey — to question whether the virus had leaked from the lab. [...] "These findings suggest some movement of infected animals from southern China to Wuhan, a trade conduit that could have also led to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2," the study authors wrote.