Did Previous Exposure to Bat Urine and Feces Influence the Disease Outcomes of COVID-19 Caused by the Novel SARS-CoV-2?

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) had a significant impact on the lives of people throughout the world. Given the horrific nature of the initial phases of the pandemic wherein several people who were infected suffered from severe diseases that resulted in deaths, restriction of the movement of people in the form of lockdowns was imminent. COVID-19 was a global catastrophe resulting from a novel coronavirus potentially originating from bats. Despite significant advancements in understanding COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, several unanswered aspects like the evolution of a novel virus, potential animal reservoirs and carriers, immunological responses to infection, and causes for the variable clinical outcomes, among others remain to be completely understood. Another significant facet of the COVID-19 pandemic was the variable mortality rates among the infected populations and the reasons for the post-COVID effects on the recovered populations. Through this communication, we hypothesize and investigate the possibility of previous exposures to bat urine and feces influencing COVID-19 outcomes.