FALSE: DO NOT SHARE

Claim:

A woman eating “bat soup” for a travel blog started COVID-19.

Answer:

False. Neither the origin nor patient zero have been identified, and the video is from 2016 in Micronesia, not Wuhan.

FURTHER INFORMATION

This claim on the origin of coronavirus is false. While a video has been circulating social media claiming a Chinese lady eating bat soup in Wuhan started the coronavirus, the video was actually taken in 2016 in Micronesia, not Wuhan. The influencer, Wang Mengyun, is a well-known Chinese travel blogger who explained she wanted to show local culture in the video, but she has since apologized for eating bats.

As we have previously written, whilst the origin of the virus SARS-COV-2 has not been confirmed, it is thought to have been transmitted to humans from animals. But as we have also previously written, the identity of the first person to contract the COVID-19 illness has not been confirmed.

SOURCE

scmp.com: ‘Sorry about the tasty bat’: Chinese online host apologises for travel show dining advice as Wuhan virus spreads

foreignpolicy.com: Don’t Blame Bat Soup for the Coronavirus

Origins of Claim

Seen on Youtube

FULL TEXT OF CLAIM

This Woman Caused The Coronavirus.. (Bat Soup)

FALSE: DO NOT SHARE