The coronavirus is threatening everyone as we speak right now. But do we know how the virus came into being and spread all over the world? We break it down in this recipe.

Step 1- Pick an animal
Most of the viruses infecting us are formed and transmitted via animals. For instance, the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus first developed in the bodies of primates like chimpanzees. In the case of coronavirus, the genetic sequences of COVID-19 in humans are very similar to those of bats, indicating a transmission through either of these animals. A report from the Wuhan Institute of Virology supports the bat theory by stating that the genetic composition of the virus in its current form is 96 percent similar to the virus in bats.  Contrary to this popular notion, another study (as mentioned in Nature) states that the genetic composition is 99 percent similar to that of coronavirus in pangolins. This is believable as pangolins too are sold along with bats in the Chinese wet markets.

Step 2- Open a wet market
Coming to wet markets, these kind of food markets are popular in Third World countries of South America and Southeast Asia along with some parts of Africa. Animals are slaughtered and sold for food in open in these wet markets. However, special attention should be given to Chinese wet markets such as the one in Wuhan from where the virus spread. Through a series of laws in the 1980s, China deemed all wildlife as natural resources. As Peter Li, a professor from the University of Houston pointed out, the label of ‘resources’ here meant that people could use them for their own benefit. Selling bats, pangolins, alligators, tigers and other animals for food in the wet market became a common practice ever since. Some of these animals were even imported. Even the SARS virus which spread worldwide in 2002, resulted from a Chinese wet market in Foshan. The Chinese government had prohibited the sale and consumption of a few animals then but soon lifted the ban. The one thing which we need to note is that this doesn’t support the stereotype that all Chinese eat such wild meat. In fact, the sale of wild animals for food is mostly for a minority of rich and influential Chinese. 

Step 3- Let it spread to other animals
Each shop in a wet market is congested and densely populated. Hence, the health and hygiene conditions of such places aren’t quality standards. Animals are killed in the same spot where they are packaged and sold. The one who aren’t killed yet are kept in cages. These animals are crammed in cages, one above the other. This implies that excrement, blood and other fluids from each caged animal drip from top to bottom. This is how the virus is carried from animal to animal. 

Step 4- Bon Appetit
Once the virus spreads through these liquids, it’s easy for it to hold on to a particular animal. All you need to do is to touch the meat and sell it to customer. The customer will get the virus through touch or through eating the meat.

Step 5- Outbreak
After this, the virus won’t take much time to replicate (and even mutate), and latch on to a host body after this. The dish can be then shared with everyone, all around the world.

The information for this article was sourced from here