Here’s why viruses love wet markets

Are you losing perspective as alarms — some more valid than others — continue to sound over the global covid-19 outbreak? This Vox video (watch, runtime: 8:48) takes you back to the beginning late last year, reminding you of how and where it all began, contrasting the speed of its dissemination and scale of its impact with previous iterations of covid (like SARS) and crucially, investigating why these viruses originated in wet markets such as those in China. It looks at how these pathogens jump from one animal host to another, and eventually humans. Lax hygiene measures and policies on wildlife farming and trade are key triggers. Watch and weep.