BBC News By Victoria Gill image copyrightReuters image captionThere is a "strong association" between the early outbreak and the sale of live animals in a market, scientists say Amid the misery of a pandemic that has claimed at least four million lives, the scientific search for its origins has itself become toxic. While it is now hideously ubiquitous, Sars-Cov-2 is still only an 18-month-old disease. And the search for its start was officially set in motion in 2020 by a World Health Organization investigative team. Questions over its conclusions have escalated into a heavily politicised feud. Some research scientists, who have tried to unpick the pandemic's origins, have been accused of conspiracy and cover-up - based on no evidence.