Became aware of the outbreak close to the coronavirus virus in China in 2012

In China In 2012, there could be an outbreak of the virus closest genetically to the SARS-CoV-2 (cov new type), in which three people died. It is learned from the investigation conducted by journalists of the British newspaper The Sunday Times.

The authors of the investigation found that samples of potentially deadly virus for more than six years was kept in the Institute of Virology in the Chinese city of Wuhan. They claim that the original coronavirus was studied under the name RaBtCov/4991, later it was renamed RaTG13, and researchers are silent about its possible connection with the outbreak in 2012. The interlocutor of the edition explained the renaming changes in the international scientific nomenclature, however, journalists believe that this further confused the situation. The Sunday Times also drew attention to the small number of publications devoted to the study of the new virus potentially dangerous to humans.

The Sunday Times with reference to theses two doctors from China writes that in mid-2012 in a hospital in Kunming (Yunnan province) during the week received six patients with severe pneumonia, they observed symptoms resembling infection with coronavirus is SARS-CoV-1 (the causative agent of SARS, the epidemic was in 2002-2003 in 26 countries).

All people infected worked in an abandoned copper mine, clearing it from the excrement of bats. Tests confirmed the diagnosis, but later in the blood of four patients (two of them had since died) found antibodies to the unknown, but similar to SARS-CoV-1 cov. The disease, which men died was never established, but the doctors suspected that it was caused by a new coronavirus infection which originated from bats.

Scientists have studied the mine, taking out samples of excrement 276 bats. They found several different coronaviruses, including one of a new strain, similar to SARS-CoV-1. In 2016, published an article in which was described the results of the work done, but there was no mention of flash 2012 and her possible victims. 3 February 2020, an article was published in the journal Nature, it contained a description of a virus called SARS-CoV-2, and it is also said that the original media could be bats. The article also noted that the new coronavirus is genetically on 96.2 percent similar to the virus RaTG13, “previously found among populations of bats Rhinolophus affinis in Yunnan province”.

The events of 2012 in the material is also not mentioned, but in June of the academic Shi Jinli in an interview with the magazine Scientific American described how he worked in Yunnan province, where an outbreak in 2012, and the fate of the miners. According to her, the cause of death was a fungal infection, which staff had received in the mine, however, infection with coronavirus was a “matter of time” due to working conditions in the mine. She also opposed the version, according to which the new type of coronavirus was artificially created in Wuhan and spread due to the negligence of the employees of the laboratory. This version is denied and the Chinese authorities. Her team published work on genetic modification of the coronavirus, which were held in the laboratory in the years 2015-2017. Experts believe that there could be other experiments that are kept secret.

It is assumed that the flash COVID-19 began in Wuhan. The Sunday Times interviewed experts believe that, in addition to the leak pathogen, the outbreak was able to happen because of the appearance on the market of Wuhan animal of unidentified species, which became the intermediate carrier of the virus, either because of the intrusion of science and technology specialist, participated in expeditions in China, including in Yunnan.

On the morning of 5 July the total number of people infected with coronavirus in the world exceeded 11.2 million people, the pandemic has covered 188 countries.