There's growing scientific evidence that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is most closely related to other coronaviruses found in bats. This week, a study revealed a previously unknown coronavirus named RmYN02 that's 97.1% similar to COVID-19. It was found in the bats in China's Yunnan province between May and October 2019. According to Business Insider, this isn't the first instance of a cross-species spillover event. This type of jump also led to the outbreaks of Ebola and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Furthermore, experts don't think it will be the last. A fringe theory suggests the new coronavirus could have leaked from a Chinese research laboratory, but there's little evidence to support it.
