Two studies suggest same origin for COVID-19.CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two studies suggest the animal market in the Chinese city of Wuhan is the likely epicenter of SARS-CoV-2, millions of COVID-19 sufferers are still without taste or smell months after recovery, and blacks and Hispanics in rural areas have been disproportionately affected by pandemic.
The authors say they have not disproven the lab leak theory, but that combined, the pair of studies make the case for the natural origin hypothesis much more likely.
The authors report that while mortality in minority populations decreased during the second year of the pandemic, racial and ethnic disparities were not eliminated. This disparities were most evident in rural communities, and higher mortality was seen among rural white residents as well, which the authors say suggests rural areas may be facing public health challenges.
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