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On March 12, China’s foreign ministry organized a press briefing for European envoys in Beijing. The subject: A China-World Health Organization (WHO) investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.Liang Wannian, an expert with China’s Health Commission and one of the Chinese members of the joint investigation team, addressed those in attendance. Citing the joint investigation team’s findings, Liang underlined the need to widen the net on the potential origins of the coronavirus, both geographically and biologically.Liang reaffirmed that many early human-to-human novel coronavirus transmissions were traced to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan.However, although most experts believe that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19, originated in bats, Liang said there is no direct evidence that bats or pangolins were the original host. He added that other species of animals should be investigated.Liang also ranked the potential vectors through which the virus was introduced to humans in order of likelihood.China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported Liang’s summation as follows:The COVID-19 virus is ‘the most likely’ to be introduced through an intermediary host species
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