Genomic data relating to Covid-19 has been made fully available again, assisting independent assessment of a potential animal link to the outbreak of coronavirus in China in late 2019.
Global genomic repository Gisaid made the data, which was first made available this January by researchers affiliated to the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessible again on Tuesday. Analysis of the data found molecular evidence that animals including raccoon dogs on sale in late 2019 at a Wuhan market were susceptible to being infected by Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.
“We are glad to see these data made available again to all registered Gisaid users through the platform,” Gisaid told the Financial Times. “This will hopefully end the unfortunate speculation about what may or may not be gleaned from analysing these data.”