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Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

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Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

The virus having been accidentally released from the lab doesn't require that the virus was modified in or by the lab between the time of leak and the time of collection.

No, but a virus suddenly showing up that was pre-adapted to replication in human bodies and didn't follow the usual zoonotic origin scenario of traceable series of mutations over time in both animal and human hosts, along with the sudden appearance of a furin cleavage site not found in any other relatives of said virus, points to (1) likely serial passage through human-gene-modified mice and human cell cultures and (2) CRISPR-related insertion of a human-like furin cleavage site into the adapted virus.

This kind of research is dangerous and the risks far outweigh any putative benefits. There are literally hundreds of mammalian viruses out in nature that pose zero risk to humans but which could be modified by these procedures to generate novel pandemic diseases with which the human immune system has had no prior experience.

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#12

I think the problem is that America's Director of National Intelligence just isn't saying what people had hoped to hear. "We continue to have no indication that the Wuhan Institute of Virology's pre-pandemic research holdings included SARS-CoV-2 or a close progenitor, nor any direct evidence that a specific research-related incident occurred involving WIV personnel before the pandemic that could have caused the COVID…

I just read the executive summary, but based on it I'm assuming this is just the bare minimum they're willing to do to comply with some congressional order.

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#13

A strange document. Clearly written for public release but containing reactions of apparently sensitive clarification markings. Moreover it contains absolutely nothing of well publicized US involvement in relevant coronavirus research with WIV. I'm definitely curious of what DOE facilities have scientists and researchers who would have useful opinions on coronavirus. This article just reminded me more of that questio…

It’s amazing that we’re literally talking about a major geopolitical rival’s negligence leading to the deaths of millions of people, but the right wing talking point continues to be “how can we pin this on Fauci?” Americans have been taught to hate each other more than anyone else.

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#14
post #13

A strange document. Clearly written for public release but containing reactions of apparently sensitive clarification markings. Moreover it contains absolutely nothing of well publicized US involvement in relevant coronavirus research with WIV. I'm definitely curious of what DOE facilities have scientists and researchers who would have useful opinions on coronavirus. This article just reminded me more of that questio…

It’s amazing that we’re literally talking about a major geopolitical rival’s negligence leading to the deaths of millions of people, but the right wing talking point continues to be “how can we pin this on Fauci?” Americans have been taught to hate each other more than anyone else.

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Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#16
post #13

A strange document. Clearly written for public release but containing reactions of apparently sensitive clarification markings. Moreover it contains absolutely nothing of well publicized US involvement in relevant coronavirus research with WIV. I'm definitely curious of what DOE facilities have scientists and researchers who would have useful opinions on coronavirus. This article just reminded me more of that questio…

It’s amazing that we’re literally talking about a major geopolitical rival’s negligence leading to the deaths of millions of people, but the right wing talking point continues to be “how can we pin this on Fauci?” Americans have been taught to hate each other more than anyone else.

Conservatives need for the lab leak theory to be correct as they were wrong about basically all other points on covid. They refused to believe in masks, lockdowns, and social distancing and paid the ultimate price at a much higher rate. [0]

[0] https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2022/03/03/the-changing...

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#17

A strange document. Clearly written for public release but containing reactions of apparently sensitive clarification markings. Moreover it contains absolutely nothing of well publicized US involvement in relevant coronavirus research with WIV. I'm definitely curious of what DOE facilities have scientists and researchers who would have useful opinions on coronavirus. This article just reminded me more of that questio…

Look into the history of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Z Division.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-Division

From another source:

> The program also provides innovative analysis to anticipate new and developing terrorist threats involving the use of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive weapons and investigate opportunities to counter them. Z Program also works to understand the state of foreign weapons of mass destruction programs; informs U.S. counterproliferation decisions, policies, and efforts; and develops supporting technology solutions to dissuade or prevent states from acquiring WMD-related technologies, materials, and expertise.

Basically their nuclear expertise plus the Cold war (and 9/11) caused them to become a central actor within the US government to look into biological, chemical, and related weapons. So they have a lot of cross discipline expertise there now.

Edit: also see: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/01/z-di...

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The virus having been accidentally released from the lab doesn't require that the virus was modified in or by the lab between the time of leak and the time of collection.

No, but a virus suddenly showing up that was pre-adapted to replication in human bodies and didn't follow the usual zoonotic origin scenario of traceable series of mutations over time in both animal and human hosts, along with the sudden appearance of a furin cleavage site not found in any other relatives of said virus, points to (1) likely serial passage through human-gene-modified mice and human cell cultures and (…

[flagged]

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#19

I think the problem is that America's Director of National Intelligence just isn't saying what people had hoped to hear. "We continue to have no indication that the Wuhan Institute of Virology's pre-pandemic research holdings included SARS-CoV-2 or a close progenitor, nor any direct evidence that a specific research-related incident occurred involving WIV personnel before the pandemic that could have caused the COVID…

Lab leak theorists don’t believe Covid was developed as a weapon. They believe it was an accidental leak from a lab doing normal, non-warfare virological research. The quoted phrasing makes me think that they know it was a leak but redirect the conversation by saying it wasn’t a biological weapon.

Re: Declassified U.S. report on origins of Covid-19 virus [pdf]

#20

tl;dr probably from a sick animal, maybe from a lab, no smoking gun either way. Probably not engineered or lab-adapted.

> Probably not engineered or lab-adapted.

Despite having a novel furin cleavage site in the exact location as stated in a grant proposal, a furin cleavage site that happens to make the virus extremely infectious towards humans all while leaving no trace of how it adapted this feature.

This seems to me more like a desperate attempt to avoid any regulations or attention drawn to this reckless research conducted all over the world!

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