Many people have different versions of how the coronavirus came about. Some refer to the widely accepted theory that the virus first made contact with humans at the Huanan wet animal market in Wuhan, China. This theory includes the fact that the virus made its way from bats to pangolins, and from pangolins to humans. Another theory is that all of it is just a hoax to cover up that COVID-19 is a bio-weapon that China has used to cripple the world. There is also the "some Chinese man put a bat in a soup and now the world is about to end" theory among many others. None of what you are about to read contains allegations that I personally make. What I hope to show is how far there is clarity in the situation, and at what extreme do the answers just blur out of sight.
Let us begin by talking about the generally accepted theory. In the 1970s the Chinese government was falling apart. They were struggling to feed over one hundred million people all across the country and famine was a regular occurrence. So in 1988, the government enforced the wildlife protection law, which stated wildlife as a natural resource. This meant that there was an increasing market for different kinds of wildlife all across China. Small peasants turned into large farmers and an entire industry is born. In the early 2000s, lots of these animals made it to the wet markets along with a few illegal and endangered animals. The SARS outbreak was traced to civet cats sold in Foshan, Guandong province. The markets were closed and the sale of these animals was banned. But within a few months, 55 species including civet cats were allowed to be sold once again. In 2016, the government sanctions the sale of some endangered species, like tigers and of course, pangolins. It is rare that the virus's route of bats to pangolins to humans takes place by chance. That is where the wet markets come in. It is an ideal place for such close proximity and 27 of the 41 initial cases of the virus did have direct contact with the market.
The conclusion of the Huanan market being the source of the virus is definitely a credible theory with such an initial number, but with no other proof provided and the fact that the information and research outlets were backed by the Chinese government, which weren't exactly transparent or credible. The study that makes this assumption states an easily forgettable yet concerning piece of information. The first-ever person to be reported to have the coronavirus had no contact with the market whatsoever.
Another concerning fact that has got scientist scratching their heads is how the virus has not shown a considerable evolution even after three months of the outbreak. Usually, such viruses change beyond recognition after becoming a human virus. This shows the virus was already well-adapted to the human body when it broke in, which suggests it was already a part of the Wuhan human environment for quite a while. A conspiracy theory that made rounds around social media was that the novel coronavirus was a bio-weapon that made it out of the only Chinese level-4 virus research centre, (wait for it) the Wuhan Institute of virology. Scientists have no way of confirming whether this is true or false. Since the Institute is only approximately 25 km away from the market, it isn't out of the realm of possibility. But the Chinese authorities were quick to clean up the entire animal market, which meant the scientists could no longer figure out a proper trail to the origin of the virus.
The theory that has blown up in the last few weeks is the 5G conspiracy. Somehow, some people are convinced that the wave from the masts of the 5G networks causes the disease. People are starting to abandon science and losing their minds. Electromagnetic waves somehow cause a viral infection. Some of these brilliant minds have taken it upon themselves to destroy the masts, a revolutionary technology that makes communication faster than ever, at a time when the demands on phone lines, internet connectivity etc. are at its greatest.
With such nonsensical theories floating around in the mix as well, it is hard to pin a definitive origin story for the virus. In the new age of social media, it is easy to spread fear amongst the masses. People share such information blindly without fact-checking and you have a seeming end of the world scenario in your hands that has nothing to do with the truth and was thought of by some person who may (or may not, no assumptions here, even if the people in question are as imaginary as the situations they conjure up and share we have to be respectful) have been under the influence at the time or just plain bored. Such a global pandemic requires the due diligence of us as world citizens to stay at home and not to spread false information. If we fail to keep our heads now, then we have pretty much failed as a species. No point in blaming a flying mammal.