As scientists struggle to pinpoint the origin of novel coronavirus, they find themselves divided on what was once widely believed to be the most likely culprit: a wet market in Wuhan.

A wet market is an area where vendors sell fresh meat, fish, produce, and other perishable goods, and is the opposite of a "dry market" which is a shopping area that sells durable goods like fabric or electronics. 

In Wuhan's wet markets, wild animals are often kept in cages and sold as either pets or for food.

It is believed that a bat-infected animal -- perhaps an African or Asian termite-eating mammal called a pangolin -- infected the first human.

But according to CNN, this theory has yet to be verified and after reporters spoke with more than half a dozen virus experts about the origins of the outbreak, all of them say anyone who claims to know the source of Covid-19 is guessing. 

But at this point, research indicates that the illness most likely came from bats.