The Origin Story of the Coronavirus

The corona virus responsible for the current pandemic jumped from wild animals to humans. To prevent another catastrophic pandemic in the future, we have to learn more about its origins. So where does the previously unknown virus come from, and exactly how and where was it transmitted to humans? Christian Walzer, Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City, is currently at the forefront of research and reporting. The cultural anthropologist Clemens Grünbühel has been living and researching in Southeast Asia for 20 years. As an employee of the Stockholm Environment Institute in Bangkok, he deals with the relationship between humans and nature, with wildlife markets and the wildlife trade as a basis for securing livelihoods. The chemist and entrepreneur Zhou Jinfeng is the General Secretary of the NGO ”China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation”, which is China’s official arm for nature conservation, environmental protection and for a commitment to sustainable development. Duration: 21 minutes. Produced by Cosmos Factory for ORF Austrian Television (2020).