A team of scientists say it is “beyond reasonable doubt” the Covid pandemic started with infected animals sold at a market, rather than a laboratory leak.
They were analysing hundreds of samples collected from Wuhan, China, in January 2020.
The results identify a shortlist of animals – including racoon dogs, civets and bamboo rats – as potential sources of the pandemic.
Despite even highlighting one market stall as a hotspot of both animals and coronavirus, the study cannot provide definitive proof.
The samples were collected by Chinese officials in the early stages of Covid and are one of the most scientifically valuable sources of information on the origins of the pandemic.
…
Their analysis was published last year and the raw data made available to other scientists. Now a team in the US and France says they have performed even more advanced genetic analyses to peer deeper into Covid’s early days.
Wasn’t this known already? Weren’t there all kinds of discussions about shutting down wet markets because of this?
Yeah but the US media was too busy implying that China manufactured the virus in a bio lab.
Funnily enough China still suffered because it failed to lock down early enough because the government tried to ignore and detain doctors in an effort to control the narrative that everything would be fine.
The US suffered because they nuked their Pandemic emergency pla only like a few years before covid because Trump thought Spanish Fever wouldn’t reincarnate to finish the job on its 100th anniversary lol.
So it was easy to vaguely point at China instead of actually solving the problem.
I don’t know what US media you were consuming in 2020/21, but it was pretty much understood it came from something exotic in a wet market.
Most of us didn’t know what a wet market existed or what it was until COVID. There was some conspiracy shit that the right ate up, and some editorial and opinions on the idea, but the whole bioengineered super virus escaping a lab wasn’t taken that seriously
the whole bioengineered super virus escaping a lab wasn’t taken that seriously
Excellent evidence why there is such a battle over misinformation.
I do recall that story. What I don’t get is why the intelligence agencies had any say in the likely origin. It’s not a factor of “if the virus was in a lab.” It could have been. The fact is that even back then when they had the virus sequenced, they could clearly see it came from a zoonotic source, probably the same one with SARS.
The thing that irked me so bad about it is that it highlights the discrepancy between science and suspicion. Think of how vital DNA has been to crime prosecutions or exonerations. The same thing applies here.
What I don’t get is why the intelligence agencies had any say in the likely origin.
If it did originate during the development of a bioweapon then you would want the intelligence agencies to be as informed as possible. Thankfully none believe that to be the case.
they could clearly see it came from a zoonotic source
Yes. 96% zoonotic. It’s that latest 4% that is of interest. Particularly the fully functional cleavage site at the S1, S2 junction.
I’m not into conspiracy theories, but I find the confidence that is used in the defense of this origin just as Shakey as the lab leak theory.
The lab location and research done means there is a lot of potential incentive for the Chinese government, the lab and even researchers in the field to not have it be a lab leak… As this would potentially cause an entire (important) field of study and their methods be regulated into oblivion by poorly written knee jerk laws.
I’m fine with this as the accepted consensus on the subject, but I’ll keep my reservations for whatever good those do me.
So how’s the abolishing of wet markets going? And the reduction of antibiotics use in industrial scale farming?
I still believe it isn’t that far fetched that they disposed some kind of experiment/test from the labs on the market…
The lab that made COVID wasn’t in China. It was in Kansas City.
You’re thinking of the “Spanish” flu.
Off topic, but “Genetic Ghosts” would be a sweet band name. I’d go see them.
As someone currently down with covid I thought that was state of knowledge long time ago.
Eating animals causes pandemics from zoonotic diseases. More at 11.
Being near live animals is more dangerous.
Would have far less human/animal face time if we didn’t eat so much of them, don’t you think?
Face time probably isn’t the main factor.
If we didn’t eat so many birds and swine then there would be less animals in close quarters and less chance of new bird/swine flus developing.
No doubt that’s a factor. Implied in my comment (though maybe not well conveyed) is that there would be far fewer animals in captivity if we didn’t eat them.
But what we’re concerned about in the OP and the thread is zoonotic diseases that affect humans. Those surely wouldn’t infect humans at the rate we see today if we weren’t raising them for food and therefore in close proximity to them.
Agreed. And un(der)regulated capitalism multiplies this by forcing cramped, low cost living conditions for animals.
including racoon dogs, civets and bamboo rats
No Bats? Oh maaaaaan
>I think they determined that the virus that spread to humans was bats that transferred to something in the market (aka intermediate hosts). That virus would have spread there, while technically the bats could have infected humans.
Wuhan market didn’t sell bats.
Also, the only bats with a (96%) similar covid strain were in caves 1000 miles away.
However, samples from those bats were stored at the wuhan institute of virology.
Very first sentence quoted above. You don’t even have to go to the article:
A team of scientists say it is “beyond reasonable doubt” the Covid pandemic started with infected animals sold at a market, rather than a laboratory leak.
No amount of evidence or scientific consensus can convince a conspiracy theorist…
And yes, I know:
Despite even highlighting one market stall as a hotspot of both animals and coronavirus, the study cannot provide definitive proof.
Therefore lab leak, right?
The samples were collected by Chinese officials in the early stages of Covid and are one of the most scientifically valuable sources of information on the origins of the pandemic.
This Part makes me question things a bit. China is not really known for being honest about things happening in China.
Questioning things is fine. On the other hand, it’s pretty hard to fake the ability to trace DNA to a specific market stall.
On top of that, the person I replied to is not questioning. They’ve already decided it’s definitely a lab leak. See all of their other comments.
Ahhh okay, nvm then
The study itself is quite balanced and honest about data collection. It doesn’t rule out a lab origin like the article claims.
our study does not rule out human-to-animal transmission, as the sampling was carried out after the human infection within the market. Thus, the possibility of potential introduction of the virus to the market through infected humans, or cold-chain products, cannot yet be ruled out.
I would love to see a picture of that ONE STALL that is thought to have been a hotbed. Whoever runs that stall must be quite a character, too. Golly it’s fun to visit markets in new countries.
Unless… a plausible alternative to my imagination is that it looks like any other open air fresh meat stall, just with more exotic flesh… And if that’s the case you can keep your photos.
But just in case. Anyone?
