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Lab leak and zoonotic origin are not mutually exclusive. The lab leak hypothesis means "accelerated evolution" through either caged animals or "in vitro cells"
by yobbo 2y ago
Lab leak and zoonotic origin are not mutually exclusive.
The lab leak hypothesis means "accelerated evolution" through either caged animals or "in vitro cells" infecting the lab personnel. Gene splicing and such are not necessary to make the argument.
The observed fact pointing to this is the number of generations required to produce the divergence between the first SCoV2 variant and the closest wild ancestor. It corresponds to something like 20 years (?) of evolution.
- harshreality 2y agoAlthough it's not specified in common dictionary definitions... "...zoonosis (a disease communicable from animals to man under natural conditions)." —Laurie Garrett, _The Coming Plague_ (Ch 14, section IV) Which is naturally how the word is used virtually all the time. Transmission from lab animals kept for study in a biolab, you could argue either way. Transmission from humanized lab animals purposely subjected to serial passage is not really zoonosis in any reasonable sense.
- nickburns 2y agoMost accurately, lab leak and spillover event are not mutually exclusive theories.
- mharig 2y ago[dead]
- jaybrendansmith 2y ago...and the most likely scenario is that it was leaked due to a mistake. Sloppy lab procedures. If anything, this should point to MORE regulation around GLP principles with more transparency and oversight, not less. And while I see some merit in determining potential risk, it should be only done with computation and computer modeling now, not an actual virus.
- LorenPechtel 2y agoClosest *identified* wild variant. The thing is it's made the jump before, making the jump again isn't astounding. What's notable about the SCov2 variant is how well it spreads between humans. It probably has made the jump many times, it's just this time it figured out how to spread.