The P&R Plague Thread (Covid-19)

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/28/1160162845/what-does-the-science-say-about-the-origin-of-the-sars-cov-2-pandemic

Four of the eight intelligence agencies lean toward a natural origin for the virus, with "low confidence," while two of them – the DOE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation – support a lab origin
Click to expand...


But at the end of the day, the origin of the pandemic is also a scientific question. Virologists, who study pandemic origins, are much less divided than the U.S. intelligence community. They say there is "very convincing" data and "overwhelming evidence" pointing to an animal origin.
Click to expand...


In particular, scientists published two extensive, peer-reviewed papers in Science in July 2022, offering the strongest evidence to date that the COVID-19 pandemic originated in animals at a market in Wuhan, China. Specifically, they conclude that the coronavirus most likely jumped from a caged wild animal into people at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where a huge COVID-19 outbreak began in December 2019.
Click to expand...
They provide photographic evidence of wild animals such as raccoon dogs and a red fox, which can be infected with and shed SARS-CoV-2, sitting in cages in the market in late 2019. What's more, the caged animals are shown in or near a stall where scientists found SARS-CoV-2 virus on a number of surfaces, including on cages, carts and machines that process animals after they are slaughtered at the market.
Click to expand...
NPR: So what is the likelihood of that coincidence happening — that the first cluster of cases occurs at a market that sells animals known to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, but the virus didn't actually come from the market?

I would put the odds at 1 in 10,000. But it's interesting. We do have one analysis where we show essentially that the chance of having this pattern of cases [clustered around the market] is 1 in 10 million [if the market isn't a source of the virus]. We consider that strong evidence in science.

The analyses that we've done are telling a very strong story.

The evidence is amongst the best we have for any emerging virus.
Click to expand...

 
nic said:
You sound more frustrated than me. :D I just like poking fun at Twitter and I feel good when I called BS back about their selective fake news labels and a few years later people come around. In this instance, they probably only flagged the Wuhan lab leak theory because Trump said it, so it must be false. To answer your question I posted this because I like making fun of Twitter. I have no idea whether COVID came from the lab but it certainly seemed plausible at the time.
Click to expand...
Not frustrated, just trying to understand your latest drive by post and why it rustled your jimmies. Do you have any examples of what was labeled misinformation regarding the origins of COVID? Because Twitter had a blog that outlined there methodology for flagging or removing posts/accounts. Just curious if your example would fit in there.

 
Turns out there were 10 U.S. agencies tasked with evaluating the roots of COVID.  The DOE was one of two agencies that believed lab leak was the more likely explanation. Six agencies concluded wet market/natural transmission was the more likely explanation. Two agencies admitted they just didn't know. 

Seems to me the victory laps are a bit premature. 

 
Archy1221 said:
Fun fact for you…..sea levels have risen some 400 feet the last 20,000 years.  Gotta be all those cars driven those last 20,000 years.  Or it could also be that the climate changes on its own and humans probably have some small component to that.   Far different than man made climate change as a whole. 
 
Click to expand...
Hahahahahahaha.

This is hilarious. The DOE report about lableak confirms your worldview and thus must be true but overwhelming scientific evidence pointing to human caused climate change attacks my conservative identity and therefore must be false. Such is the duality of modern conservatism.

Glad to know your commitment to science is apolitical and in no way do you pick and choose what (poorly) suits your belief system.

 
If it matters what I think, my money is on a leak from the Wuhan Lab. I think it’s overly coincidental that the first cases were near Wuhan and that lab happens to “study” the Coronavirus. Toss in an unhealthy dose of coverup and obfuscation by China and well….

The only thing I’m not completely convinced of is if that lab was trying to weaponize the virus and if the “leak” was intentional or accidental. I’m all but ruling out natural occurrence.

But even I realize that is speculation if and until we are able to get more information or access which may never come. None of our agencies reports prove anything and do not illicit a high level of confidence.

 
Climate changes from a variety of atmospheric influences. Often dramatically. That's how it's always been. 

7.8 billion humans are among latest Earthly influences. Humans are nature. It's part of the same continuum. 

Given that two trillion tons of carbon dioxide have been released into the Earth's atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution, it's not a huge stretch to figure in some cause and effect. 

 
Back
Top