COVID-19 is a so-called spillover disease—caused by a virus that jumped from one species to another, probably in this case from bats to humans. But it is human behavior, from forest degradation to urban expansion, that fosters spillovers. It’s clear, however, that basic research into how viruses originated and how they evolve will lead to a better understanding of how to prevent future devastating spillovers. Read more in the latest COVID-19 discovery science Prequels story.
