WHO: Chinese, external expert groups work to identify animal source of COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Twitter that both Chinese and external expert groups are trying to identify the animal source of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). WHO noted that "identifying it would help to ensure that there will be no further similar outbreaks & will also help to understand the initial spread of COVID-19 in the Wuhan area."

Meanwhile, WHO said the start of the coronavirus outbreak still remains unclear and the current most likely hypothesis is that an intermediary host animal has played a role in the transmission.