{
  "Femi": "FIG 5 Timeline depicting the significant events that occurred during the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 virus outbreak. The timeline describes the significant events during the current SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, from 8 December 2019 to 13 May 2020.\nAt the beginning, China experienced the majority of the burden associated with COVID-19 in the form of disease morbidity and mortality (65), but over time the COVID-19 menace moved to Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, and now the United States has the highest number of confirmed cases \nanother study, the average reproductive number of COVID-19 was found to be 3.28, which is significantly higher than the initial WHO estimate of 1.4 to 2.5 (77). It is too early to obtain the exact R₀ value, since there is a possibility of bias due to insufficient data. The higher R₀ value is indicative of the more significant potential of SARS-CoV-2transmission in a susceptible population. This is not the first time where the culinary practices of China have been blamed for the origin of novel coronavirus infection in humans. Previously, the animals present in the live-animal market were identified to be the intermediate hosts of the SARS outbreak in China (78). Several wildlife species were found to harbor potentially evolving coronavirus strains that can overcome the species barrier (79). One of the main principles of Chinese food culture is that live-slaughtered animals are considered more nutritious (5).\nAfter 4 months of struggle that lasted from December 2019 to March 2020, the COVID-19 situation now seems under control in China. The wet animal markets have reopened, and people have started buying bats, dogs, cats, birds, scorpions, badgers, rabbits, pangolins (scaly anteaters), minks, soup from palm civet, ostriches, hamsters, snapping turtles, ducks, fish, Siamese crocodiles, and other \nas an entry receptor while exhibiting an RBD similar to that of SARS-CoV (17, 87, 254, 255). Several countries have provided recommendations to their people traveling to China (88, 89). Compared to the previous coronavirus outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the efficiency of SARS-CoV-2 human-to-human transmission was thought to be less. This assumption was based on the finding that health workers were affected less than they were in previous outbreaks of fatal coronaviruses (2). Superspreading events are considered the main culprit for the extensive transmission of SARS and MERS (90, 91). Almost half of the MERS-CoV cases reported in Saudi Arabia are of secondary origin that occurred through contact with infected asymptomatic or symptomatic individuals through human-to-human transmission (92). The occurrence of superspreading events in the COVID-19 outbreak cannot be ruled out until its possibility is evaluated. Like SARS and MERS, COVID-19 can also infect the lower respiratory tract, with milder symptoms (27). The basic reproduction number of COVID-19 has been found to be in the range of 2.8 to 3.3 based on real-time reports and 3.2 to 3.9 based on predicted infected cases (84).\nroute warrants the introduction of negative fecal viral nucleic acid test results as one of the additional discharge criteria in laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID-19 (326).\nThe COVID-19 pandemic does not have any novel factors, other than the genetically unique pathogen and a further possible reservoir. The cause and the likely future outcome are just repetitions of our previous interactions with fatal coronaviruses. The only difference is the time of occurrence and the genetic distinctness of the pathogen involved. Mutations on the RBD of CoVs facilitated their capability of infecting newer hosts, thereby expanding their reach to all corners of the world (85). This is a potential threat to the health of both animals and humans. Advanced studies using Bayesian phylogeographic reconstruction identified the most probable origin of SARS-CoV-2 as the bat SARS-like coronavirus, circulating in the Rhinolophus bat family (86).\n"
}