I wouldn't have read it if not linked by a comrade, but there was a (more realistic than this most likely) theory in New York mag from this year that mentioned this could've been the possibility, either from a wild sample directly or one that was being modified as part of an early vaccination effort, citing the 1977 flu epidemic as a similar thing where it came from a lab accident.
It seems realistic enough that it could happen, and it could've happened anywhere, but I also personally don't care what the origins of this are since it's ultimately irrelevant to the facts of what covid has done due to govt inaction globally, along with the inhumane herd immunity strategy pursued here in America, the UK, and dozens of other countries world wide, along with the horrible vaccine rollout strategy.
Finding the origins of the pandemic is not irrelevant. If the lab leak theory - the plausible accident one, not the bioengineered virus conspiracy - is correct, it would have gigantic effects on the scientific community. You would probably see virology as a field of study transform overnight.
Oh yeah, I agree with that. Like you said it would have large impacts in virology and in the geopolitical sense as well since I'm sure western leaders will try to move any disease and vaccine research out of this lab in a reactionary sense by claiming they can't handle any future disease or vaccine research because of this accident.
To clarify what I mean by it being "irrelevant" to me personally, I mean in the sense that it's irrelevant to most local organizing, tenant or mutual aid, I've done and many other comrades across the country have done in the last year, with trying to help with the symptoms of the global pandemic and the awful response here. Whether covid came from a lab accident or the wild, our government still failed us in providing even the smallest safety net to improve people's material conditions, and we had to step up and organize and agitate around it. That's not to say I am advocating for scientific illiteracy, but that at some point things have far too many degrees of separation in the current moment from affecting or improving material conditions in the now.
For the sake of argument let's say the lab accident theory is true. So COVID-19 was a natural virus, it was not genetically engineered in any way, but it transmitted to humans while being studied in a lab. The scientific community would need to upgrade safety standards for research to ensure this never happened again. What do you do about all of the scientists - both Western and Chinese - who immediately tried to dismiss the lab-leak theory? Those people should lose their right to practice science. What if the experiment that caused the virus to leak was funded by the US or Europe? There would probably be questions as to whether finding viruses to study them should even be allowed at all moving forward. It would be an accident that would make Chernobyl look like spilled milk.
What do you do about all of the scientists - both Western and Chinese - who immediately tried to dismiss the lab-leak theory? Those people should lose their right to practice science.
This is a bad idea, scientists shouldn't lose the right to practice science for being wrong.
Oh - my comment might have been unclear. I meant people connected to the lab who may have covered it up or nto been forthright with investigators. 100% agree that being wrong is fine.
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I wouldn't have read it if not linked by a comrade, but there was a (more realistic than this most likely) theory in New York mag from this year that mentioned this could've been the possibility, either from a wild sample directly or one that was being modified as part of an early vaccination effort, citing the 1977 flu epidemic as a similar thing where it came from a lab accident.
It seems realistic enough that it could happen, and it could've happened anywhere, but I also personally don't care what the origins of this are since it's ultimately irrelevant to the facts of what covid has done due to govt inaction globally, along with the inhumane herd immunity strategy pursued here in America, the UK, and dozens of other countries world wide, along with the horrible vaccine rollout strategy.
Finding the origins of the pandemic is not irrelevant. If the lab leak theory - the plausible accident one, not the bioengineered virus conspiracy - is correct, it would have gigantic effects on the scientific community. You would probably see virology as a field of study transform overnight.
Oh yeah, I agree with that. Like you said it would have large impacts in virology and in the geopolitical sense as well since I'm sure western leaders will try to move any disease and vaccine research out of this lab in a reactionary sense by claiming they can't handle any future disease or vaccine research because of this accident.
To clarify what I mean by it being "irrelevant" to me personally, I mean in the sense that it's irrelevant to most local organizing, tenant or mutual aid, I've done and many other comrades across the country have done in the last year, with trying to help with the symptoms of the global pandemic and the awful response here. Whether covid came from a lab accident or the wild, our government still failed us in providing even the smallest safety net to improve people's material conditions, and we had to step up and organize and agitate around it. That's not to say I am advocating for scientific illiteracy, but that at some point things have far too many degrees of separation in the current moment from affecting or improving material conditions in the now.
How so?
For the sake of argument let's say the lab accident theory is true. So COVID-19 was a natural virus, it was not genetically engineered in any way, but it transmitted to humans while being studied in a lab. The scientific community would need to upgrade safety standards for research to ensure this never happened again. What do you do about all of the scientists - both Western and Chinese - who immediately tried to dismiss the lab-leak theory? Those people should lose their right to practice science. What if the experiment that caused the virus to leak was funded by the US or Europe? There would probably be questions as to whether finding viruses to study them should even be allowed at all moving forward. It would be an accident that would make Chernobyl look like spilled milk.
This is a bad idea, scientists shouldn't lose the right to practice science for being wrong.
Oh - my comment might have been unclear. I meant people connected to the lab who may have covered it up or nto been forthright with investigators. 100% agree that being wrong is fine.
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Here's a link to that article, for anyone curious.
This podcast episode discusses the article, among other origin theories.
Thanks! Realized I should've linked it.