Everything Is 'Made in China' … Including SARS and COVID-19

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic traces back to a specific “wet market” in Wuhan China, according to multiple reports. Wet markets are low-cost food markets in China. They house live and dead animals alongside food in notoriously unsanitary conditions. Refrigeration is rarely accessible. There is also a lack of enforcement of health practices similar to those found in the West.

Additionally, China made market hunting legal to allow destitute people to avoid starvation in hard times. Market hunting is the hunting and sale of wild animals. The combination of wild and domestic animal slaughter in such close proximity to food and people creates the perfect environment for diseases to mutate and hop species. 

The COVID-19 Origin Story

In 2003, another coronavirus strain began in China. Called SARS, it infected 8,100 people and killed almost 800.

It is thought the disease jumped from bats to chickens to people in a Chinese wet market. The SARS outbreak led to the Chinese government killing millions of chickens and, luckily, it was contained early. However, in the wake of the outbreak the Chinese government did nothing to prevent the creation of similar diseases.

In 2019, another strain of Coronavirus (COVID-19) made precisely the same leap from bats to chickens to humans in a wet market in Wuhan. It is already well past the point of possible containment. Current estimates are that 40 to 70 percent of the American population will contract the disease with the mortality rate settling between 1 and 3 percent. 

Call the Health Inspector!

Some of the most damaging pandemics and epidemics of the past few decades are related to unsanitary agricultural and food handling practices, as well as extreme population density in developing countries. The list includes SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika, and now COVID-19. Scientists have also observed the rate of emergence of new viral diseases is rising. The conditions described in Chinese wet markets have become increasingly common.

China is a powerful developing nation. Now, it is also the progenitor of two deadly Coronavirus outbreaks. With almost 1.5 billion people, China needs to prioritize sanitation in its food practices. The health and safety of the world depends on it.

The UN and WHO must ensure sufficient measures are taken, while the global community must impose some type of sanction if China refuses to acquiesce. If developing metropolises around the world aren’t practicing health conscious food handling, without a doubt, new deadly viruses will develop.

Beyond the COVID-19 origin, learn the facts on our sister site RealWorldSurvivor.com. If you need a good laugh, the crew at Skillset Live has the perfect podcast for all your social distancing needs! Stay safe.