Does COVID-19 origin really matter?

[snoop1130]

 

The answer is “Yes” and “No”. “Yes” because a non-politicised knowledge can help prevent or soften a future pandemic a great deal, if the world manages to get out of this one. “No” because the possibility of the issue being extremely and dangerously politicized is nearly one hundred percent.

 

At the moment, the world’s biggest superpowers cannot even agree on whether the “origin” is a settled question. China, backed by a World Health Organisation investigation, insists that it is and that there is no use reopening it. The United States, backed by some Western allies, demands a new probe.

 

Tension is already high even before a new investigation can begin. Imagine what can happen if the new probe’s results confirm the US claims that the coronavirus came from a lab leak in China. Imagine that the new probe confirms Beijing has been right all along and Washington has been wrong all the time.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/does-covid-19-origin-really-matter/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-06-04

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

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[Heng]

It'd be nice to know where it came from academically.   But otherwise this is just a 'slip and fall' type manoeuvre by folks who want to spin in politically.  

[Fromas]

I agree. In a non-blame environment we should get to the bottom of it.

 

But please NO if it becomes politicized and escalates military tensions.

[RotBenz8888]

If it was Europe/us: yes. If Asia : no. 

[AndyFoxy]

Definitely. If the Chinese and US covered up the fact it was a lab leak and then millions died, it matters.

[mtls2005]

Yes. Assuming you want to prevent a future pandemic. 

 

Do I want virologists mucking about with "gain-of-function" experiments? I'm leaning towards "no".

 

 

 

Intersting article...droppped yesterday.

 

The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins

 

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/the-lab-leak-theory-inside-the-fight-to-uncover-covid-19s-origins

[Excel]

28 minutes ago, AndyFoxy said:

Definitely. If the Chinese and US covered up the fact it was a lab leak and then millions died, it matters.

Actually that is a very valid point. Was it a cover up by both the US and China for some reason ? We will never know because both of those nations are as bad as each other. The problem is of course its the innocent that always suffer when you have power crazy nations.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

“knowledge” is factual,as distinct from “opinion”, so not in itself political

(but can be spun for political purpose)

no moral equivalence between a free democratic USA & a brutal communistic tyrannical China

covid source of course matters ........ strange article ........author appears a China apologist

only one superpower and it aint China......

UK Intelligence report today considers the covid bioweapon case as “ feasible”

why would anyone NOT want to know if covid was a bioweapon or natural species jump ?

although quite what is “natural” about superstitious mass consumption of toxic wildlife escapes me......

 

 

 

 

[internationalism]

untill now scientists still investigate, from where spanish flu, the previous large pandemic, have originated 100 years ago.

still only wild estimation of 17 to over 100mln deaths.

 

 

 

[connda]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The answer is “Yes” and “No”. “Yes” because a non-politicised knowledge can help prevent or soften a future pandemic a great deal, if the world manages to get out of this one. “No” because the possibility of the issue being extremely and dangerously politicized is nearly one hundred percent.

That's one opinion.  There are others.

[Logosone]

I very much doubt it was the case, but if the Chinese Wuhan lab accidentally leaked a gain of function experiment very obviously this is of massive importance.

 

But why Biden is focusing on this when scientists have examined the virus and found a man-made origin unlikely is anyone's guess.

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9

Edited June 4, 2021 by Logosone

[Susco]

1 hour ago, Heng said:

It'd be nice to know where it came from academically.

 

But you will never know, same as you will never know the truth about all other high profile cases

[overherebc]

12 minutes ago, Susco said:

 

But you will never know, same as you will never know the truth about all other high profile cases

 

Maybe in 50 years when documents become de-classified or maybe they will make that a 100 year rule. Or maybe we will all be gone by that time.

Got to admit at my age I don't even buy green bananas.

[whiteman]

if it proved from the lab make them pay $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[connda]

22 minutes ago, Logosone said:

I very much doubt it was the case, but if the Chinese Wuhan lab accidentally leaked a gain of function experiment very obviously this is of massive importance.

 

But why Biden is focusing on this when scientists have examined the virus and found a man-made origin unlikely is anyone's guess.

 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0820-9

The fact is that gain of function research has been done over the years and many SARS chimeras have been produced.  Is it impossible that this is lab based?

This article discusses both the natural origin and the possibility of lab chimeras escaping a lab. At the moment it would seem that additional unbiased research is still needed to answer the question.

Quote

 

"CRITIQUE OF “THE PROXIMAL ORIGIN OF SARS-COV-2″

Due to the broad-spectrum of research conducted over almost 20 years on bat SARS-CoVs justified by their potential to spill over from animal to human,^[48]a possible synthetic origin by laboratory engineering of SARS-CoV-2 cannot be excluded." <emphasis is mine>
"The widely cited article of Andersen et al.^[2] stated that SARS-CoV-2 has most likely a natural origin."

-- The genetic structure of SARS-CoV-2 does not rule out a laboratory origin, SARS-COV-2 chimeric structure and furin cleavage site might be the result of genetic manipulation

Rossana Segreto, Yuri Deigin

17 November 2020

https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.202000240

So there is still two sides to this ongoing story. Both should be investigated.

[covidiot]

origins of spanish flu are known?

this is yet another "sucker's game" that will draw people's time, attention, and energy, and in 20 years people will still be debating it. 

 

 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

untill now scientists still investigate, from where spanish flu, the previous large pandemic, have originated 100 years ago.

still only wild estimation of 17 to over 100mln deaths.

Yeah right, we all know where that came from.

[overherebc]

7 minutes ago, covidiot said:

origins of spanish flu are known?

this is yet another "sucker's game" that will draw people's time, attention, and energy, and in 20 years people will still be debating it. 

 

 

Do you think some people will be debating why people are still debating it.

[Cali farong]

Since they won’t allow investigators in and they

destroyed documents, and people have gone

missing and some BS story about a pangolin 

use common sense    A wet market or a lab

seems obvious to me

[overherebc]

4 minutes ago, Cali farong said:

Since they won’t allow investigators in and they

destroyed documents, and people have gone

missing and some BS story about a pangolin 

use common sense    A wet market or a lab

seems obvious to me

 

Is that worth debating at this time or should we wait a bit longer?

[Bkk Brian]

Of course it matters, the truth always matters, will we get to know it though, na. Everything remains speculation. Beyond all reasonable doubt will not be enough.

[covidiot]

7 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Do you think some people will be debating why people are still debating it.

yes, and i boldly predict people will be chasing their own tails like dogs and we still won't know where covid came from. 

 

[overherebc]

6 minutes ago, covidiot said:

yes, and i boldly predict people will be chasing their own tails like dogs and we still won't know where covid came from. 

 

I think your point of 'boldly predict or should it be predict boldly is worth debate but only after the debate on covid origin comes to a conclusion.

[connda]

22 minutes ago, Cali farong said:

Since they won’t allow investigators in and they

destroyed documents, and people have gone

missing and some BS story about a pangolin 

use common sense    A wet market or a lab

seems obvious to me

But when you wade into the scientific discussion at a technical level it's a little less cut and dry as putting it into simplistic layman's terms where only a binary answer is allowed and only one answer will be The God's Honest Truth.
But it doesn't work that way.  This issue is way more complex than that.  Finding evidence to "prove" it's either lab-created or a natural phenomenon is going to requires a lot more research and then a scientific consensus.  At the end of the day somebody is going to be left unhappy.  It ain't a coin-flip.
 

Edited June 4, 2021 by connda

[riclag]

Yes ,the world must demand a explanation for the  families of the  3 million who have died , especially if could happen again in another form of contagion, from the same source !

 

 

Investigate the origin !

Edited June 4, 2021 by riclag

[daveAustin]

Yes and China should be fined trillions for completely messing up the world. Let’s not get all silly and say it doesn’t matter, esp if it turns out it was engineered. 

[Heng]

Let's rally around 'sue China' before someone figures out it might be 'sue our own government' for mishandling the pandemic.

[WhiteBuffaloATM]

“proof” standard will be “ beyond reasonable doubt” or “no other feasible explanation”  ?

based on available evidence, as for the UK Novichuk case ?

China trying to “shut down” current investigation is also circumstantial “evidence”..... against them.......

range of “missing” or “ unavailable” documents is further such evidence

will be politically impossible to come to a conclusion of “unknown cause”........

 

 

[scorecard]

24 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Yes and China should be fined trillions for completely messing up the world. Let’s not get all silly and say it doesn’t matter, esp if it turns out it was engineered. 

 

And to be fair let's sue the ass off of Donald Trump for being utterly and disgracefully derelict, possibly perpetrating a crime against humanity for lack of attention to the virus, without doubt being a large factor in the death of some 600,000+ American citizens.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

Yeah right, we all know where that came from.

Do we? Please share the facts.