Data was released briefly, then rescinded. As NPR reported previously, there is already strong evidence pointing to these animals in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan.
The wild animals are more similar to foxes than to domesticated dogs. Data that suggested a link between raccoon dogs and the origins of the COVID pandemic was removed from an international database.
Two studies point to a link between the animals at the seafood market and the spread of SARS-CoV-2 — foreshadowed by photos from 2014 of raccoon dogs and birds. A top virus sleuth gives the details.
