'Science': ‘Patient zero’ COVID-19 un vendedor de Wuhan.

 

The search for ‘patient zero’

"The “Patient Zero” of a viral pandemic is the first individual to be infected by the disease. Scientists attempt to locate this patient using a host of genetic, evolutionary and epidemiological models."

Ver:

How Do Scientists Find “Patient Zero” Of A Viral Pandemic?

There is an intense ongoing investigation to find out exactly when Covid-19 emerged in humans. It’s important to identify how epidemics emerge, not least the current pandemic, and especially how it is spread. As suspected, it was in circulation a lot earlier than initially indicated.

A 55-year-old individual from Hubei province in China may have been the first person to have contracted Covid-19, according to the South China Morning Post. This dates back to November 17th, more than a month earlier than doctors noted cases in Wuhan in late December.

Authorities suspected the virus stemmed from something sold at a “wet (seafood) market” in the city. It’s now clear some infected people had no connection to that location. That included one of the earliest cases from December 1st; researchers reported in The Lancet.

Scientists now suspect SARS-CoV-2 (its medical name) originated in a bat and somehow hopped to another animal, possibly the pangolin, which then passed it on to humans. It is now spreading between people without any animal intermediary.

 

If they can find the earliest cases, they may be able to confirm the animal host where the virus lurks. Even with this November 17th case identified, doctors can’t be certain the individual is “patient zero”, the first to have been infected. 

There’s every chance even earlier cases will be found. Más