Did This New Coronavirus Come From Bats Here’s What We Know

Did This New Coronavirus Come From Bats Here’s What We Know

By now, you’ve probably heard of the novel Coronavirus. Like most viruses, it knows no borders and has spread all over the world. So where did this outbreak begin?

We know that the COVID-19 outbreak originated in Wuhan, China, but as of yet how the outbreak began is somewhat of a mystery. We’ve heard that seafood, snakes, and a whole host of other conspiracy theories surrounding the viruses origin, but it seems that preliminary evidence is pointing to a familiar source: bats.

And the novel coronavirus is not the only virus that’s been associated with these flying mammals. Ebola, SARS, MERS, Marburg, Nipah—the list goes on.

So why are bats the perfect hosts for these types of viruses, and why aren’t they affected by them? The reason might have to do with how bats evolved to fly.

Find out the answer and more in this Elements.