Risks posed by SARS-CoV-2 to North American bats during winter fieldwork.

The virus that causes COVID-19 likely evolved in a mammalian host, possibly Old-World bats, before adapting to humans, raising the question of whether reverse zoonotic transmission to bats is possible. Wildlife management agencies in North America are concerned that the activities they authorize could lead to transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to bats from humans. A rapid risk assessment conducted in April 2020 suggested that there was a small but significant possibility that SARS-CoV-2 could be transmitted from humans to bats during summer fieldwork, absent precautions.