Comment by 23 of the 27 original members of the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens

We also know that the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan had a significant role in the early transmission and initial spread of the virus. Metagenomic sequencing of environmental samples collected at the market has indicated that several wildlife species had been there before it was cleaned and sterilized on 1 January 2020 by the Chinese authorities in response to the outbreak. These animals could have been the intermediate hosts that brought the virus to the market, leading to the early cases in humans — although it remains unclear whether the virus first infected humans at Huanan, or whether the spillover event occurred earlier, with the virus subsequently being carried to the market by infected humans or animals.