COVID-19 may not have originated in China, existed in environment for many decades

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may not have originated in China but could have been thriving in a dormant stage in the environment for decades, according to researchers.

While a British epidemiologist found the virus prevalent in many parts of world before the pandemic, another study traced a part of the virus gene in existence for thousands of years.

A combination of conditions led to its viral spread, reported The Telegraph on Sunday, citing a British epidemiologist.

"I think the virus was already here, here meaning everywhere. We may be seeing a dormant virus that has been activated by environmental conditions," said Dr. Tom Jefferson, an honorary senior research fellow at the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM), University of Oxford.

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