Initially, researchers believed that the virus emerged from infected animals in a market in China during the latter half of 2019. Recent evidence released on Thursday has strengthened this theory. The first recorded cases of COVID-19 were in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. However, there was contention between supporters of two main theories related to the outbreak. Some believe that the virus leaked from a lab studying viruses in Wuhan, while others argue that COVID-19 spread from infected wild animals sold at a local market. Many researchers have supported the idea that the virus began spreading from this market. Now, a new study published in the journal "Cell" is based on over 800 samples collected from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan. It is reported that wild animals were also sold at this market. These samples were collected after the market was closed in January 2020, from the ground of animal stalls and the drainage systems there. Florence Debarre, a co-author of the study and an evolutionary biologist at the CNRS research institute in France, told AFP, "Based on the type of data shared by Chinese authorities, we cannot definitively say whether the animals in the market were infected. However, our study indicates that by the end of 2019, species such as raccoon dogs and civets were present in this market. These animals were located in the southwestern corner of the market, where the SARS-CoV-2 virus, responsible for COVID-19, has been detected." These small mammals can become infected with viruses similarly to humans, leading to suspicions that they serve as a crucial link between humans and bats. There are concerns that SARS-CoV-2 originated through them. Despite some photographic evidence and a study conducted in 2021, there was previously controversy regarding the presence of these animals in the Huanan market. According to the study's findings, numerous items in one stall tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. This included animal carts, a cage, a trash cart, and machines for removing fur/feathers. The samples contained more DNA from wild animal species than from humans. The COVID-positive samples from this stall, which included palm civets, bamboo rats, and raccoon dogs, contained DNA from these mammals. The data suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 or COVID virus found on the equipment in the relevant stall could have originated from the animals present or from unidentified COVID patients. This research also confirmed that the most recent ancestor of the COVID virus found in the market was genetically similar to the original strain. Florence Debarre stated, "This means that the initial various strains of the virus were present in the market. If the market is indeed the origin, this is to be expected." James Wood, an epidemiologist from the University of Cambridge's Infectious Disease Department, who was not involved in the research, remarked, "This study provides very solid evidence that the animal stalls in Wuhan's Huanan Seafood Market are the hotspot for the COVID-19 outbreak. This research is crucial because not much has been done to address many factors that could lead to past or future potential pandemics. This includes wildlife trade, loss of biodiversity, and changes in land use. Currently, these aspects are not included in the pandemic drafts being shared among many countries."