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A new development has emerged in the investigation into the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statisticians from Germany and Hong Kong have presented an alternate take on the widely accepted belief that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was the outbreak’s epicenter.
The researchers, Dietrich Stoyan from TU Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany and Chiu Sung-nok from Hong Kong Baptist University, argue that the statistical conclusions backing the market’s centrality are flawed (via South China Morning Post).
TOPSHOT – This photo taken on December 10, 2022 shows a passenger wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) amid the Covid-19 pandemic arriving at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. – China OUT (Photo AFP) / China OUT
Researchers Present Arguments on COVID-19’s Origin
The crux of their argument lies in a meticulous analysis of early COVID-19 cases, disputing a 2022 study that pointed to the market as the starting point of the pandemic. Stoyan and Chiu assert that the data analysis methods used in the previous study are flawed and fail to provide a convincing argument for the market’s centrality in the 155 December cases examined.
Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A: Statistics in Society on January 16, their paper questions the exclusivity of the market as the origin and suggests alternative landmarks could be equally likely.
They propose landmarks such as Wanda Plaza, the Wuhan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Hankou railway station as potential origins, challenging the established narrative.
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This finding adds complexity to the ongoing debate over the origin of COVID-19. The 2022 study, published in the prestigious journal Science, asserted that the Huanan market was the early epicenter and suggested a link between the live wildlife trade in China and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
However, Stoyan and Chiu contend that their critique does not aim to support or reject the zoonosis hypothesis, emphasizing the need for caution in concluding.
Researcher Defends Findings
The lead author of the 2022 study, Michael Worobey, has responded, stating that Stoyan and Chiu’s study is “riddled with errors, both factual and statistical.” This conversation emphasizes the scientific process and thorough examination required to uncover the origins of the pandemic.
The complexity of the situation is underscored the World Health Organization (WHO)-China joint mission in March 2021. After fieldwork in Wuhan, the joint mission could not draw a firm conclusion about the Huanan market’s role in the outbreak.
They acknowledged that many early cases were associated with the market, but an equal number were linked to other markets, suggesting that the market might not be the original source of the outbreak.
Epidemiologist Ben Cowling, unaffiliated with either study, finds Stoyan and Chiu’s argument compelling. He cautions against drawing strong inferences from available data, emphasizing the difficulty of obtaining new data related to the origins of COVID-19.
Cowling also highlights the complexity of the early epidemic, noting that only about 5% of COVID-19 cases were severe at that time. He suggests that the identified severe cases may not capture the full picture of the early epidemic, with potentially many cases going unidentified.
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