Patient zero, the source of the Covid-19 pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 people worldwide, may never be found, Taiwan’s vice-president, a renowned epidemiologist, has warned.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph on how to beat Covid-19, Vice President Chen Chien-jen said strong doubts hung over the common belief that the Huanan seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan was the source of the virus.

“If we look at the first 42 cases published in academic journals, around ten have no history of going there. This is a very important hint that the market may not be the origin of this infection,” he said.

“When we try to trace back to the [index] case it is very difficult. If the case had a mild disease you can never find it.”

Identifying patient zero is important not only for the prevention of future pandemics but also politically. The origin of Covid-19 has already caused a diplomatic spat between the US and China as Beijing seeks to shift the blame and liability for the global catastrophe.

Taiwan, just 80 miles from China, has been praised for setting a gold standard in tackling Covid-19, with just 398 infections and six deaths.