Coronavirus may have its origins in China but Europe could have added to the spread of the virus worldwide, according to a new study by the University of Huddersfield’s Archaeogenetics Research Group.
In the study, the researchers stress that the virus has its origin in China but Europe was centre stage for the spread of the virus across the world. The findings are published in Microorganisms, an authoritative journal. The study says that the virus might have transmitted from the horseshoe bat to human beings. However, it is not china that is the main source of the transmission.
The report points out that Europe and Britain had only come up with less travel restrictions. Moreover, they were late in imposing the restrictions. These could have led the spread of the virus to the United States and other parts of the world. Most of the travel across the world happened through Europe and the US and not through China, thus spreading the virus.
The researchers analysed 27.000 virus genomes traced from across the world. Clinical geneticist Dr Teresa Rito and evolutionary geneticist Dr Pedro Sora carried out the data analysis. Both analysts are from University of Minho Portugal. They have worked closely with Professor Martin Richards and Dr Maria Pala of the University of Huddersfield as part of Archaeogenetics Research Groca in several occasions.
Pala said that a better understanding of the virus will help in gathering information and improving upon policies designed to control the Virus spread
