4 ms·

Covid did not escape from a Chinese lab

10 points by MilnerRoute 7y ago

pmiller2 7y ago
Most versions of the "virus escaped from a lab" theory imply that it was created as a bioweapon. We have really good evidence this is not true, with the genetic sequence placing it within a family of coronaviruses that infect bats. What I don't understand is how you can believe this: > China is an untrustworthy, paranoid, autocratic state with a history of deadly epidemiological coverups (SARS), and it mishandled and lied about the covid crisis early on. and still not entertain the possibility that Chinese scientists were studying the virus and there was a lab accident that China then covered up. Even if it was a a biohazard level 4 lab, "Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) is the highest level of biosafety precautions, and is appropriate for work with agents that could easily be aerosol-transmitted within the laboratory and cause severe to fatal disease in humans for which there are no available vaccines or treatments." [0] It's not immediately clear to me that an unknown virus found in bats would immediately be treated as a BSL-4 human pathogen, but, even if it was, the possibility of an accident still exists. With this virus having a relatively long incubation period, and the possibility of asymptomatic transmission, it's entirely conceivable to me that such an accidental escape of a naturally occuring virus could have occured. TL;DR: China has covered up similar situations in the past, so it's not a big leap to believe a naturally occuring virus could have escaped from a lab. --- [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_level_4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_leve...
gnusty_gnurc 7y ago
This isn't very convincing. And until we have evidence of transmission, it's hard to say anything about the origin of the virus other than: it came from a bat and started spreading in Wuhan. Personally, I'd guess it's more likely the Wuhan CDC[1] as opposed to the WIV. [1]: https://project-evidence.github.io/#(part._whcdc) https://project-evidence.github.io/#(part._whcdc)
tzm 7y ago
Inconclusive. It may be worth following this research group: https://project-evidence.github.io/ https://project-evidence.github.io/
- DiogenesKynikos 7y ago
  "Research group" is a generous description for them.

10 points by MilnerRoute 7y ago

Most versions of the "virus escaped from a lab" theory imply that it was created as a bioweapon. We have really good evidence this is not true, with the genetic sequence placing it within a family of coronaviruses that infect bats. What I don't understand is how you can believe this: > China is an untrustworthy, paranoid, autocratic state with a history of deadly epidemiological coverups (SARS), and it mishandled and lied about the covid crisis early on. and still not entertain the possibility that Chinese scientists were studying the virus and there was a lab accident that China then covered up. Even if it was a a biohazard level 4 lab, "Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) is the highest level of biosafety precautions, and is appropriate for work with agents that could easily be aerosol-transmitted within the laboratory and cause severe to fatal disease in humans for which there are no available vaccines or treatments." [0] It's not immediately clear to me that an unknown virus found in bats would immediately be treated as a BSL-4 human pathogen, but, even if it was, the possibility of an accident still exists. With this virus having a relatively long incubation period, and the possibility of asymptomatic transmission, it's entirely conceivable to me that such an accidental escape of a naturally occuring virus could have occured. TL;DR: China has covered up similar situations in the past, so it's not a big leap to believe a naturally occuring virus could have escaped from a lab. --- [0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_level_4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosafety_level#Biosafety_leve...

gnusty_gnurc 7y ago

This isn't very convincing. And until we have evidence of transmission, it's hard to say anything about the origin of the virus other than: it came from a bat and started spreading in Wuhan. Personally, I'd guess it's more likely the Wuhan CDC[1] as opposed to the WIV. [1]: https://project-evidence.github.io/#(part._whcdc) https://project-evidence.github.io/#(part._whcdc)

tzm 7y ago

Inconclusive. It may be worth following this research group: https://project-evidence.github.io/ https://project-evidence.github.io/

DiogenesKynikos 7y ago
"Research group" is a generous description for them.