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> For #5, they are overestimating how easy it is to find origins of viruses. SARS took 5 years. SARS-1 took about a year to find a proximal zoonotic host. The
by tripletao 2y ago
> For #5, they are overestimating how easy it is to find origins of viruses. SARS took 5 years.
SARS-1 took about a year to find a proximal zoonotic host. The reservoir host took much longer, but the proximal host is the important part (and still hasn't been found for SARS-CoV-2).
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5241a2.htm https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5241a2.htm
You're right about Ebola and the 2009 flu. I think it's likely that SARS-CoV-2 arose from a research accident, but I don't think the COVID Select Subcommittee's arguments are very good.