SARS-CoV-2 was identified in early January and its genetic sequence shared publicly on 11-12 January.

genetic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 from the early human cases and the sequences of many other virus isolated from

human cases from China and all over the world since then show that SARS-CoV-2 has an ecological origin in bat

populations. All available evidence to date suggests that the virus has a natural animal origin and is not a

manipulated or constructed virus. Many researchers have been able to look at the genomic features of SARS-CoV-2

and have found that evidence does not support that SARS-CoV-2 is a laboratory construct. If it were a constructed

another animal species, one that is more likely to be handled by humans. This intermediate animal host or zoonotic

source could be a domestic animal, a wild animal, or a domesticated wild animal and, as of yet, has not been

identified.