zlacker

>>delbar+(OP)
Whenever this topic comes up, the discussion seems to consist largely of _extremely_ strong opinions against the perfectly plausible hypothesis (don't forget, the evidence of zoonotic origin is equally thin on the ground).

My question is, why? What does it matter whether the virus originated from a lab or from a wet market - it isn't any more dangerous if it came from a lab, nor does knowing the origin really help dealing with this crisis at all.

It is certainly interesting to know where it did originate, and that knowledge could inform a debate on the future of (respectively) wet markets and animal husbandry practices, or BSL facilities, but these don't strike me as particularly emotionally charged topics, and in any case the posts I'm referring to don't mention these debates...

Anybody care to explain why you would respond so strongly to claims of lab origin?

>>bearbi+d7
Because it would make China liable, and for the majority of individuals, their stance on China as a good actor in global matters is now linked to their American political allegiance. It is hard for many folks to reconcile both.

>>DevKoa+89
How does it make China more liable. Allowing wet markets to exist is a equal or greater threat than shoddy research labs.

>>deevia+Ei
Are you suggesting that people should not be able to hunt for wild foods? Or that they shouldn’t be able to sell what they catch or kill? Or something else?

>>amanap+7k
If it's proven that wet markets are a breeding ground for novel viruses, then yeah, clearly they should be banned.

>>SpaceR+Xk
SARS was proven to come from wetmarkets back in 2003. They were banned by China, then unbanned later.

>>iso121+Zs
China has never banned wet markets. A wet market is just a place that sells fresh meat or vegetables. The butcher who supplies your favorite restaurant is a wet market. The fruit & veg stand where you buy organic heirloom tomatoes is a wet market. Every farmer's market is a wet market.

"Wet market" just distinguishes from "dry market" where durable goods like electronics are sold.

China never banned wet markets, which makes about as much sense as saying someone has "banned supermarkets". They banned the sale of certain items at wet markets.

(I live in Asia and shop at a wet market multiple times a week.)

>>freddi+6B
They banned wet markets from holding wildlife