This conspiracy idea is quite far fetched. And it was probably spread as fake news, by someone with a political agenda to smear the reputation of China worldwide. (And if you’ve been watching closely, this is a very well funded campaign, that has been very active for the past 3 years.) But let’s try to think this through. If they (China) were researching it, then it is possible that this could’ve accidentally escaped…
Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
201–210 of 225 posts
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#202Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you need biotech people?
We need smart people. The topics are only ever software development but none the less I’ve reviewed your comment history and you can have an invite if you want.
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#203This conspiracy idea is quite far fetched. And it was probably spread as fake news, by someone with a political agenda to smear the reputation of China worldwide. (And if you’ve been watching closely, this is a very well funded campaign, that has been very active for the past 3 years.) But let’s try to think this through. If they (China) were researching it, then it is possible that this could’ve accidentally escaped…
Following Hanlon's Razor, never assume malice when stupidity will suffice. IF, and that's a big if, this virus was somehow bio-engineered, the most probable explanation is that it escaped from the adjacent lab due to humans making mistakes. Now what do you do in that situation? A virus you're legitimately researching escapes from a state sponsored lab. You try to cover it up, of course, which isn't even hard because it might have developed in nearby bats anyway. That way, nobody looses their face and you can try to fight the virus with everyone else.
That is an easier and more logical explanation than some "bioweapon".
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#204The idea of this being an engineered virus wittingly unleashed on the world by some malevolent Party conspirators strains credulity--the notion is preposterous, especially from a country as obsessed with internal stability as China. However, the Wuhan pathogen research laboratory is still a worthy source to consider relating to this virus. Accidents DO happen, and China has a history of making mistakes leading to dan…
> The idea of this being an engineered virus wittingly unleashed on the world by some malevolent Party conspirators strains credulity--the notion is preposterous, especially from a country as obsessed with internal stability as China. How about the idea that this is an engineered virus unwittingly unleashed on the world by some accident/incompetence? If one reads the history of nuclear weapons/reactors, and how all k…
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#205Virus's mutate and with how climate change is affecting everything; wouldn't it be tragically ironic if climate change accelerated how fast the common cold (for example) mutates Great and informative article unlike my comment
Case in point: the plague. Still very much alive in some areas of Asia and Africa, and localized outbreaks still occur today. But displacement of carriers species (e.g. rats) from those areas to others due to various climate-shift-induced pressures (such as too much or too little food, or human intrusion) can trigger outbreaks far and wide. The original plague period and spread was in many ways a perfect storm of factors but a re-occurrence is feasible (albeit today's improved knowledge of the cause, hygiene and containment measures should prevent it reaching anything like the scale once seen).
Another example: A few years back Myrtle Rust made its way over to NZ for the first recorded time, and one theory of how it got here was being carried on unusually warm/humid air currents from Australia which allowed it, as a kind of mold, to survive the journey.
Another vector: Melting permafrost releasing preserved pathogens to which today's populations (human and otherwise) have no immunity is another 'fun' climate change scenario. I find that one less plausible mostly because it would require human intrusion or some other means of transmission from the thawing site to hosts. But eh, maybe.
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#206This conspiracy idea is quite far fetched. And it was probably spread as fake news, by someone with a political agenda to smear the reputation of China worldwide. (And if you’ve been watching closely, this is a very well funded campaign, that has been very active for the past 3 years.) But let’s try to think this through. If they (China) were researching it, then it is possible that this could’ve accidentally escaped…
China is, contrary to what media might want you to believe, not a sinister empire of evil. They are, however, a culture with a strict requirement to save your face at all cost. Following Hanlon's Razor, never assume malice when stupidity will suffice. IF, and that's a big if, this virus was somehow bio-engineered, the most probable explanation is that it escaped from the adjacent lab due to humans making mistakes. No…
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#207Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#208Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The idea of this being an engineered virus wittingly unleashed on the world by some malevolent Party conspirators strains credulity--the notion is preposterous, especially from a country as obsessed with internal stability as China. How about the idea that this is an engineered virus unwittingly unleashed on the world by some accident/incompetence? If one reads the history of nuclear weapons/reactors, and how all k…
If one would engineer a virus, surely one would make it more dangerous than this?
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#209The market resides in the heart of the city so it could be that there was some other route of transmission through carriers without symptoms, animals etc. To claim that this came from a lab certain requires more evidence than its mere existence. The whole RNA sequence is available online and so far no expert to my knowledge has claimed it looks synthetic.
Re: Wuhan seafood market may not be source of novel virus spreading globally
#210Earlier quoted context omitted.
> The idea of this being an engineered virus wittingly unleashed on the world by some malevolent Party conspirators strains credulity--the notion is preposterous, especially from a country as obsessed with internal stability as China. How about the idea that this is an engineered virus unwittingly unleashed on the world by some accident/incompetence? If one reads the history of nuclear weapons/reactors, and how all k…
If one would engineer a virus, surely one would make it more dangerous than this?
Anyway, there's no evidence so far to support any of these theories, but considering China's record I guess it wouldn't surprise me. For now I still think the easiest explanation is the most likely.