While coronavirus was previously believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan at the end of last year, new research suggests it may have actually came from further south — and began spreading among humans as early as September 2019.
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| Science & Technology |
| Coronavirus Origin Story #356 |
| 2020-04-18 |
| [Daily Star via Whatfinger] A bombshell report by scientists from the University of Cambridge has cast doubt on previous beliefs about when and where Covid-19 first broke out. While coronavirus was previously believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan at the end of last year, new research suggests it may have actually came from further south — and began spreading among humans as early as September 2019. |
| Posted by:Mercutio |
| #14 I guess I forgot the /sarc tag.... |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 11:24 |
| #13 #11 Blame Clinton and W for turbo-charging Chinese growth with WTO membership in 2001. Irony of ironies, our elites scored that own goal just after 9/11. Their actions built up a far greater long-term threat than the one they were focused on. |
| Posted by: Lex 2020-04-18 11:21 |
| #12 /\ Ask yourself, 'why would Gaia pick such a time and place as this for on-the-spot re-engineering and updating of infectious viruses.' Chinese wet markets have been around for how long ? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-04-18 11:15 |
| #11 Well, let's just go ahead and blame Nixon and his ping-pong diplomacy for all this. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 11:13 |
| #10 Robert the virus is closest to the horseshoe bat's but different. The probability of differences occurring outside lab within the indicated time frame are about as likely as finding a million dollars on a sidewalk. In NYC. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2020-04-18 11:05 |
| #9 There's nothing in the report that rules out - 1. Virus originates naturally, in Horseshoe bats, 900 km from Wuhan. 2. Chinese scientist captures horseshoe bat for study in Wuhan. 3a. Virus escapes accidentally, 3b. Or is released - take your choice. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2020-04-18 10:56 |
| #8 They tried to blame the US and got pushback. They tried to blame Italy and that did't take hold. I'm guessing this will lead to blaming Vietnam as soon as the next round of checks arrives at the University of Cambridge. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2020-04-18 10:11 |
| #7 If. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 09:42 |
| #6 Or how about just chalking this up to "sh!t happens". The Earth has been around for billions of years. Viruses gotta live, too. Because if it was a low probability natural event, we don't have to worry about repetition. But, if it was deliberately produced bio-weapon, we can expect an improved version next year. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2020-04-18 09:38 |
| #5 I mean #1 |
| Posted by: Thack etc 2020-04-18 09:33 |
| #4 ^ good analogy |
| Posted by: Thack Oppressor of the Platypi5171 2020-04-18 09:32 |
| #3 He and colleagues from several institutes analysed more than 1,000 full genome sequences of the virus. By counting the various mutations of the virus, they were able to get closer to figuring out when the first human was infected by a strain closest to a virus spread among bats. Another mathematical model? I await Story #357. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2020-04-18 09:17 |
| #2 Or how about just chalking this up to "sh!t happens". The Earth has been around for billions of years. Viruses gotta live, too. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-04-18 09:15 |
| #1 We may never agree as to the origins. What we do know, is that Chinese government quarantined Wuhan with respect to the rest of China - but not the rest of the world. Compared to this, pouring your industrial waste into a river where people downstream drink it is a minor misdemeanor. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2020-04-18 09:03 |