The Vancouver Sun

COVID may have originated in raccoon dogs, scientists say

The Vancouver Sun sent this email to their subscribers on March 18, 2023.

Text-only version of this email

New data linking COVID-19 to raccoon dogs in a Wuhan wet market provides “important incremental evidence” supporting the hypothesis that the virus originated in wildlife, according to a scientist who has studied the genesis of the pandemic in China. View this email in your browser I A1 Curated by Dharm Makwana Good evening and welcome to your COVID-19 update. (Getty Images) DISCOVERY COVID-19 may have originated in raccoon dogs, scientists say New data linking COVID-19 to raccoon dogs in a Wuhan wet market provides “important incremental evidence” supporting the hypothesis that the virus originated in wildlife, according to a scientist who has studied the genesis of the pandemic in China. A new analysis of samples collected in January, 2020, at the Huanan market in downtown Wuhan, where many of the early COVID cases emerged, found genetic evidence of the virus with large amounts of raccoon dog DNA, The Atlantic and New York Times reported this week. That’s a strong indication that the mammals, reportedly sold live in the food market and known to be susceptible to coronaviruses, were infected, said Dominic Dwyer, a medical virologist and infectious diseases physician. “It’s not the ‘eureka’ moment, but it’s a pretty big advance,” said Dwyer, who was part of the joint mission to study COVID’s origins led by the World Health Organization in early 2021. The material was collected in an area of the market where cases were known to have occurred, he said in an interview today. READ MORE ADVERTISEMENT @LELEBRITY LSRRI CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH WL 1A BE A PART OF SUMMER #ATTHENAT LU T WE THINK YOU'LL LIKE THIS NEWSLETTER REPURI The Canucks Report takes you inside the Vancouver Canucks' locker room with detailed previews delivered straight to your inbox on game days. A must-read for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. SIGN UP YOU SHOULD KNOW • VIA Rail broke labour laws when the company fired a locomotive engineer over his vaccination status, according to a federal arbitrator. •  After policing the “Freedom Convoy,” the RCMP came away with lessons learned, newly released documents show — including the need to better prepare for the potential targeting of emergency phone lines. • Canada’s government is injecting $80.5 million in Alberta to boost domestic drug production and the province’s biomedical sector. Dr. Lorne Tyrrell, founding director of the Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, joined the announcement and highlighted the importance of government, industry and academia involvement to prepare for global outbreaks such as COVID-19. • Provincial funding to support an Ontario research network tracking COVID-19 in wastewater is being cut beginning next week. In June, it will no longer be monitoring not only COVID-19 but also various other illnesses trackable via the wastewater. •  Republican proposal to cancel unspent COVID-19 relief money could undercut healthcare for military veterans and pensions for blue-collar workers while doing little to improve the U.S. fiscal picture, a Reuters review of federal spending figures found. COVID-19 IN B.C.  Here are the latest COVID-19 figures given on March 16 for the week of March 5 to March 11. • New cases over the seven-day reporting period: 374* • Total confirmed cases: 397,189 • Deaths over the seven-day reporting period: 18** (5,278 total) • Total vaccine doses administered: 14,246,777 • Hospitalized cases on March 16: 222*** • Intensive care cases on March 16: 17 • Visit B.C.'s COVID-19 dashboard for regional numbers. *COVID-19 case numbers are higher than reported because of limited PCR testing availability. **B.C. now defines a COVID-19 death as being an individual who has died from any cause within 30 days of a first COVID-19 positive lab result. ***The majority of hospitalized patients since December 2021 have tested positive for the virus after being admitted for other reasons. Did a friend forward you today's newsletter? You can sign up here. Have a thought you'd like to share? Send your feedback to editor Dharm Makwana at [email protected]. Sign up for more Vancouver Sun newsletters here. A week ago he sent me this FacebookTwitterInstagram Print subscribers: A reminder to visit vancouversun.com/mysubscription to: · Access your account online 24/7 to manage your payments and delivery service · Activate your complimentary access to vancouversun.com and nationalpost.com, included with your home delivery subscription © March 17 2023 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. 365 Bloor St East, Toronto, ON, M4W 3L4 You received this email because you are subscribed to Vancouver Sun or The Province Newsletter, registered as [email protected] • • • Contact us • Digital Ad Registry © March 17 2023 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Show all

The Latest Emails Sent By The Vancouver Sun

More Emails, Deals & Coupons From The Vancouver Sun

Email Offers, Discounts & Promos From Our Top Stores