US President Joe Biden Calls For Further Investigation Into Virus Origin

[Pattaya Spotter]

President Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, indicating publicly that his administration takes seriously the possibility that it was accidentally leaked from a lab, as well as the prevailing theory that it was transmitted to humans by an animal.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/science/covid-19-origins-who.html

 

I recall another president calling for this over a year ago...but was dismissed by what passes for the media and called a "racist" by many politicians for doing so. 

Edited May 26, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Jeffr2]

Great!  Finding the exact point the virus jumped from an animal to a human is critical to stop these things from happening in the future.

 

From that article:

 

“It is most likely that this is a virus that arose naturally. But we cannot exclude the possibility of some kind of a lab accident,” he said. “That’s why we’ve advocated very strongly that W.H.O. needs to go back and try again after the first phase of their investigation really satisfied nobody.”

[Maestro]

Removed a troll post and the replies to it.

[Thomas J]

14 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

President Biden on Wednesday ordered U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate the origins of the coronavirus, indicating publicly that his administration takes seriously the possibility that it was accidentally leaked from a lab, as well as the prevailing theory that it was transmitted to humans by an animal.

Very Strange, 

This was also reported just hours ago. 

ago. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/covid-trump-biden-wuhan-lab-b1853950.html

Edited May 27, 2021 by Thomas J

[EVENKEEL]

15 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

Very Strange, 

This was also reported just hours ago. 

ago. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/covid-trump-biden-wuhan-lab-b1853950.html

Heard the same on the news. This covid is fueling joe socialist agenda quite well.

[Thomas J]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Heard the same on the news. This covid is fueling joe socialist agenda quite well.

Maybe he received a huge amount of backlash from stopping the investigation into the Wuhan Lab.  Lets face it, if the lab was at fault, then why not know it.  If it was not at fault, why not clear them.  

Though not proven, I find it far more likely that Covid escaped from the virology lab.  The suggestion that after hundreds of years of horseshoe bats having the virus that some bat suddenly flew and infected someone or something seems far fetched.  Add to that, that of all the cities in the world, this bat just happened to go to Wuhan the home of a virology lab that of all things was studying bat viruses and had the "bat woman" virologist on staff.  

I would probably find O.J. innocent sooner than dismiss the likelihood that the virus escaped from that lab. 

[Jingthing]

There is bipartisan support for finding out the truth about the origin of Covid-19. However that doesn't mean that we ever will.

[cdnvic]

Conspiracy post removed. Please find other places to discuss those.

[Jeffr2]

10 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Heard the same on the news. This covid is fueling joe socialist agenda quite well.

It was shut down because it was an attempt by Trump to make China look bad.  Not really to find the TRUE origin of the virus.  Typical Trump.  Bash, deny, deflect.

 

The investigation was shut down because of concerns about the quality.  It was run by Pompeo.  Makes sense it's dodgy.

[EVENKEEL]

5 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

It was shut down because it was an attempt by Trump to make China look bad.  Not really to find the TRUE origin of the virus.  Typical Trump.  Bash, deny, deflect.

 

The investigation was shut down because of concerns about the quality.  It was run by Pompeo.  Makes sense it's dodgy.

Says who, please sounds like a conspiracy theory. If Trump did it, must be bad. Lets cancel everything Trump initiated because he was up to no good.

[sirineou]

If it was an accident I don't see what assigning blame will accomplish other than  deteriorating relations, and increase of hate crimes on Asians by morons with an IQ in the double digit range. 

[EVENKEEL]

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

If it was an accident I don't see what assigning blame will accomplish other than  deteriorating relations, and increase of hate crimes on Asians by morons with an IQ in the double digit range. 

If it was an accident from a lab then blame certainly is in order.

[jvs]

3 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

If it was an accident from a lab then blame certainly is in order.

I totally agree!There is how ever a very big difference between an accidental release

and a will full release.

I do not believe the latter at all but it is the stuff conspiracy lovers and some political

idiots live for.

[clivebaxter]

33 minutes ago, Jeffr2 said:

It was shut down because it was an attempt by Trump to make China look bad.  Not really to find the TRUE origin of the virus.  Typical Trump.  Bash, deny, deflect.

 

The investigation was shut down because of concerns about the quality.  It was run by Pompeo.  Makes sense it's dodgy.

How could he make China look any worse than they already made themselves look by covering up, lying and obstructing the WHO investigation into the lab? It's just a wonder he was not labeled a 'racist' for wanting to get at the truth, something the CCP have been desperate to hide since the virus started.

[Pattaya Spotter]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There is bipartisan support for finding out the truth about the origin of Covid-19. However that doesn't mean that we ever will.

Where was that support a year ago, when it was needed?

[Pattaya Spotter]

10 hours ago, Thomas J said:

Maybe he received a huge amount of backlash from stopping the investigation into the Wuhan Lab.  Lets face it, if the lab was at fault, then why not know it.  If it was not at fault, why not clear them.  

Though not proven, I find it far more likely that Covid escaped from the virology lab.  The suggestion that after hundreds of years of horseshoe bats having the virus that some bat suddenly flew and infected someone or something seems far fetched.  Add to that, that of all the cities in the world, this bat just happened to go to Wuhan the home of a virology lab that of all things was studying bat viruses and had the "bat woman" virologist on staff.  

I would probably find O.J. innocent sooner than dismiss the likelihood that the virus escaped from that lab. 

The Medium articles I posted flesh-out your points...they also point out the if it was a "natural outbreak" of animal to human spread, it's curious that the Horseshoe bat that's suspected of being the animal reservoir is found in caves in southern China...over 1500 kilometers from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Also, after over a year of searching and testing by the Chinese (over 80,000 animals) no animal host for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been found. (The host for SARS-CoV-1 virus was found within months). 

[sirineou]

40 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

If it was an accident from a lab then blame certainly is in order.

 

I understand that's your opinion, but why do you have that opinion?

Any time you do something , one needs to to do a risk benefit assessment. 

What would assigning blame accomplish? If it was an accident don't you think steps have been taken to  prevent such accident from happening again., would assigning  blame cause the Chinese to implement more safeguards?  On the other hand would it help deescalate the situation with hate crimes against Asians? or will it cause more?  

What is there to gain that is greater than  what can be lost?

Edited May 28, 2021 by sirineou

[EVENKEEL]

29 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 

I understand that's your opinion, but why do you have that opinion?

Any time you do something , one needs to to do a risk benefit assessment. 

What would assigning blame accomplish? If it was an accident don't you think steps have been taken to  prevent such accident from happening again., would assigning  blame cause the Chinese to implement more safeguards?  On the other hand would it help deescalate the situation with hate crimes against Asians? or will it cause more?  

What is there to gain that is greater than  what can be lost?

If this covid did originate in a Wuhan lab then China owes the world.  IF it was an accident from lab, how did it happen needs to be explained.

 

If the US did this we'd be apologizing and handing out relief to the world. 

[Pattaya Spotter]

39 minutes ago, sirineou said:

 

I understand that's your opinion, but why do you have that opinion?

Any time you do something , one needs to to do a risk benefit assessment. 

What would assigning blame accomplish? If it was an accident don't you think steps have been taken to  prevent such accident from happening again., would assigning  blame cause the Chinese to implement more safeguards?  On the other hand would it help deescalate the situation with hate crimes against Asians? or will it cause more?  

What is there to gain that is greater than  what can be lost?

It's important to nail down the origins of the pandemic to help prevent future ones. It's awfully embarrassing if it was a lab leak but I think after 3M deaths the ???? deserves an answer.

 

China rejects Biden’s call to examine Covid origin theories

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/27/china-rejects-bidens-call-to-examine-covid-origin-theories

 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[sirineou]

12 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

If this covid did originate in a Wuhan lab then China owes the world.  IF it was an accident from lab, how did it happen needs to be explained.

 

If the US did this we'd be apologizing and handing out relief to the world. 

I other words personals satisfaction. 

[rcuthbert]

Google: Li-Meng Yan China of intentionally manufacturing and releasing COVID-19

 

 

[Jingthing]

My understanding is that it's important to know whether it did come from the lab there by accident because if so international safety procedures for such labs need to be adjusted. If it is found to have been intentional, much less likely, then of course that would be a geopolitical bombshell. But it's safe to assume China wouldn't want the world to know either way.

[AndyFoxy]

3 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

If it was an accident from a lab then blame certainly is in order.

And compensation.

[Thomas J]

3 hours ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

The Medium articles I posted flesh-out your points...they also point out the if it was a "natural outbreak" of animal to human spread, it's curious that the Horseshoe bat that's suspected of being the animal reservoir is found in caves in southern China...over 1500 kilometers from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. Also, after over a year of searching and testing by the Chinese (over 80,000 animals) no animal host for the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been found. (The host for SARS-CoV-1 virus was found within months). 

I "understand" they supposedly found bats with a virus similar or identical the coronavirus.  I don't find that surprising.  The virus originated somewhere.  The fact that Covid 19 virus shows to be not manipulated proves nothing.  If I am studying virus cultures in the virology lab in Wuhan and become accidentally infected that virus would not be yet manipulated. 

I just try to use some common sense.  The Horseshoe bats closes cave is as you say 1,500 Km from Wuhan.  Even if a bat flew out of the cave what is the liklihood that it would fly 1,500 miles or if it infected some animal that the animal would find its way to Wuhan.  What are the odds that of all the cities in China that the virus just happened to originate in the same city as the virology lab - Wuhan.  What are the odds that the particular virology lab just happened to be studying bat viruses.  What is the statistical chance that the same lab just happened to have Shi Zengli the virologist known as "The Bat Lady" as one of its researchers.  Assuming it is true, what are the odds that three researchers at the Wuhan Lab had to be hospitalized in November 2019 just prior to the outbreak in Wuhan. 

All of the evidence that the virus escaped from the lab is circumstantial but unquestionably more compelling than the fact that some bat flew to Wuhan, infected an animal that later infected a human. 

[placeholder]

27 minutes ago, Thomas J said:

I "understand" they supposedly found bats with a virus similar or identical the coronavirus.  I don't find that surprising.  The virus originated somewhere.  The fact that Covid 19 virus shows to be not manipulated proves nothing.  If I am studying virus cultures in the virology lab in Wuhan and become accidentally infected that virus would not be yet manipulated. 

I just try to use some common sense.  The Horseshoe bats closes cave is as you say 1,500 Km from Wuhan.  Even if a bat flew out of the cave what is the liklihood that it would fly 1,500 miles or if it infected some animal that the animal would find its way to Wuhan.  What are the odds that of all the cities in China that the virus just happened to originate in the same city as the virology lab - Wuhan.  What are the odds that the particular virology lab just happened to be studying bat viruses.  What is the statistical chance that the same lab just happened to have Shi Zengli the virologist known as "The Bat Lady" as one of its researchers.  Assuming it is true, what are the odds that three researchers at the Wuhan Lab had to be hospitalized in November 2019 just prior to the outbreak in Wuhan. 

All of the evidence that the virus escaped from the lab is circumstantial but unquestionably more compelling than the fact that some bat flew to Wuhan, infected an animal that later infected a human. 

But maybe not more compelling than the fact there was, and may still be, a big business in meat from wild animals in China. including Wuhan.

[Pattaya Spotter]

Opinion: The media’s big mistake on the covid-19 ‘lab leak’ theory

 

Better late than never. For the past year, the media has scorned the idea of an accidental lab release as a far-flung conspiracy theory, declaring it “debunked,” “dangerous” or “doubtful.” In fact, it would have been an extraordinary coincidence for this virus to emerge in Wuhan — home to China’s leading research laboratory studying bat coronaviruses — and have had no connection to the lab....[W]e have known that in 2018 U.S. diplomats warned of inadequate safety at the Wuhan lab. Just apply the principle of Occam’s razor — the simplest solution is almost always correct — and you have the most likely source of the pandemic.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/05/27/medias-dereliction-duty-lab-leak-theory/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social

 

It may be behind a paywall but you get the idea ????

Edited May 28, 2021 by Pattaya Spotter

[Pattaya Spotter]

2 hours ago, Thomas J said:

The fact that Covid 19 virus shows to be not manipulated proves nothing.

 

Nicholas Wade points out in his article that it IS NOT a fact that the Sars-Cov2 virus hasn't been manipulated. (Despite what many virologist and journalists initially reported based on little to no actual facts.) As you would expect, it's a rather technical explanation but it boils down to a feature of the virus that generally would not be expected to be seen in a virus that evolved purely through natural random mutations.

 

 

2 hours ago, Thomas J said:

All of the evidence that the virus escaped from the lab is circumstantial but unquestionably more compelling than the fact that some bat flew to Wuhan, infected an animal that later infected a human. 

Yes...and so is the evidence that it didn't.  The initial statements of many scientists that it was likely an animal to human transmission were self-serving and self interested statements by virologists who didn't have ANY actual data and/or were actually working with the WIV on the coronavirus studies. They certainly didn't want the world to think the experiments they and their colleagues were doing were potentially the cause of a pandemic. In addition, a zonotic virus doesn't just one day decide to jump species fully formed...it's a slow evolutionary process of mutation and adaptation to the new host. Within the virus DNA itself are markers of this evolution, which haven't been found in the SARS-COV2 virus. 

 

Basically, there are NO FACTS one way or the other, lab leak or animal vector, on how the virus jumped to humans...only informed and uninformed speculation and guesses. Therefore the growing international interest in further investigation ????

[Thomas J]

5 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Yes...and so is the evidence that it didn't.  The initial statements of many scientists that it was likely an animal to human transmission were self-serving and self interested statements by virologists who didn't have ANY actual data and/or were actually working with the WIV on the coronavirus studies

I totally agree with you.  Many times "expert testimony" comes from scientists who are getting grants.  They don't want to jeopardize their grant money by reporting on something that contradicts the result that those who are granting the money.

In the case of Wuhan you have people working in the field who certainly would not like to have a hostile relationship with China. 

Though circumstantial, the trail of "coincidences" leading to the lab are just too many. 1. the virus originated in Wuhan, and the lab is in Wuhan  2. The lab was studying bat viruses and Covid originated from a bat 3. Shi Zengli the bat lady was one of the virologists at Wuhan and she has been studying SARS like viruses for years 4. Reportedly Wuhan lab workers were hospitalized in Nov. 2019 just before the Covid outbreak.  5. China refuses to let any outside agencies inspect the records at the Wuhan lab.  

Somehow the idea that of all the cities in the world that the bat and its virus appeared in one of the few places in all the world with a virology lab studying bat virus is too far fetched for me. 



 

[rcuthbert]

Did anyone do my aforementioned Google search?

Covid 19 is a virus that was modified by scientists. In fact, its current structure does not exist in nature.

 

Shaming, guilt, ostracization, demotion, job loss, etc - are no longer keeping the truth hidden. Perhaps proper journalism, and academic integrity, are becoming (albeit slowly) predominant.

 

[Pattaya Spotter]

17 minutes ago, rcuthbert said:

Covid 19 is a virus that was modified by scientists. In fact, its current structure does not exist in nature.

This is certainly a possibility and that is why there is a chorus of prominent people (not just "conspiracy theorists" and Donald Trump supporters) calling for a thorough investigation into the virus' origin. And if it's been modified or not isn't really the question, we already know that's what the WIV was doing (with US approval and funding). The question is did the SARS-CoV-2 virus escape from a lab.