Coronavirus
Out of context: Reply #4909
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- yuekit2
Another article I saw recently along the same lines...
"In 2010, a virus similar to SARS-CoV-2 was already present in Cambodia"
https://theconversation.com/in-2…
It talks about how sarbecoronaviruses (the group including SARS 2) have been found in bats in both southern China but also Southeast Asia. Which makes sense when you consider that this is a common region that just happens to be divided into different countries. They have an interesting map that shows the territory of bats that carry these viruses.
You can't rule out that this particular virus was discovered in nature and then leaked from the lab...or made in lab entirely. But reading an article like this I don't think the "natural" origin (which in reality is also the result of human meddling) is as implausible as some people are making it out to be.
Because there is already proof of pangolins, civets and other small mammals becoming infected with this type of coronavirus. And these animals are being transported into China all the time as part of the illegal wildlife trade.
Apparently a lot of it is smuggled through the China-controlled Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos. The stuff that is being openly sold at a place like Huanan Market is probably only tip of the iceberg.
- lol at how the 9-dash li.. er.. the blue dashed line so specifically skirts around Wuhan :)Nairn
- @Nairn that's actually correct, no bats in Wuhan, but several virology labs tho' hehe********
- Well apparently there are some bats in Wuhan but not that carry these viruses. But does it really matter? It's not like you can't hop on a plane and fly fromyuekit
- @yuekit current mood is: discovered in nature > brought to lab > gain of function research to make it "more cool" > lab escape > pandemic********
- one end of this region to another in a matter of hours.yuekit
- < also based on this, I would argue that most ppl in those areas are pretty immune to this family of viruses, but the rest of the world are not obv********
- Just look at low cases in Vietnam, Thailand, etc. so few cases and deaths, compared to Europe, US, India, South America etc.********
- so if these viruses are so prevalent in those areas, why not ravaging those regions by now naturally? Why the pandemic started exactly in Wuhan? lol********
- @grafician Yeah they mention that in the article too. I spent the entire pandemic in this part of the world and it's noticeable how low the death rate isyuekit
- The picture is getting clearer in favour of a lab escape in Wuhan...********
- At least until recently when the new variants arrived, there was almost no outbreak here at all.yuekit
- ah btw I haven't read the article yet, just talking based on your words yuekit********
- but yeah, the fact that the pandemic hasn't started in Vietnam or Thailand or Laos with all that illegal trade, but exactly in Wuhan next to a virology lab...********
- So yeah, lol, they blamed illegal trade but this theory doesn't make any sense, while the lab escape idea is getting clearer********
- @yuekit maybe because the locals in SE Asia have only immunity to the original strains and not these new mutated ones?********
- Right but where was it first discovered in Wuhan? At a market that was known for selling exotic wildlife, and slaughtering the animals on site.yuekit
- BTW I think it's definitely possible it came from lab accident also. But with all the speculation around the lab people tend to ignore that obvious fact.yuekit
- Yeah they blamed the exotic wildlife market in Wuhan, but if that was the actual source, how come it didn't started in other SE Asia countries?! Makes no sense********
- I mean THAT exactly specific market, and not other thousands of exotic wildlife markers all over SE Asia or even other parts of China...********
- Anyway, after a year, all local proof would be gone, knowing Chyna, they bleached the entire city so yeah...no definite proof, but the idea of lab leak still on********
- compared to other mammals bats have insane immune systems so their viruses are thought to mutate faster... that's why they were being collected from remotekingsteven
- caves and brought to the city in the first place. and the labs gain of function capabilities were internationally approved, the idea they would be intentionallykingsteven
- weaponising deadly viruses in a university laboratory i don't buy for a second.kingsteven
- it's also more than convenient to blame the markets (given the divide between science and traditional food and medicine in china) the idea that there are twokingsteven
- plausible sources in one city is kinda terrifying.kingsteven
- Well keep in mind the Chinese government promotes the traditional medicine industry. There are factory farms in China breeding everything from civets to lionsyuekit
- and tigers for "medicine", crazy as that sounds. And then there is a huge black market industry where rare animals are smuggled and sold at marketsyuekit
- Check out this menu of animals from one of the vendors at the Huanan market for instance.
https://twitter.com/…yuekit - But you're totally right, it's terrifying that both are plausible. Humans in general, not just Chinese, need to get our shit together fast...yuekit
- It does look like the dotted line storms of SARS missed on all sides, lol.utopian
- Agree with everyone here, as Graf said, that part of the world has been spared by this pandemic most likely because they’ve had it or something close before_niko
- And have built up a natural immunity._niko
- Read somewhere recently that the immunisation after getting it can last for years and even potentially for a lifetime, so yeah that makes sense SE Asia is safe********