A quote out of context suggesting that the novel coronavirus may have originated in South Africa has led to a virtual meltdown on social media. Delsink addressed the global wildlife trade in a recent phone interview with the Express. Virus did not originate in SA"While Delsink conceded that it is not inconceivable a pangolin trafficked from South Africa could have ended up in a wildlife market in Wuhan, China, where the conditions were such that Covid-19 first evolved, she made no suggestion at all that the virus originated in South Africa." Last month, HSI published a science-based white paper "Wildlife Markets and Covid-19" addressing the links between zoonotic diseases and the wildlife trade. Social media users initially caused a stir when the original, incorrect information attributing the outbreak to South Africa was published:

Source: News 24 May 13, 2020 05:48 UTC