zlacker

>>todd8+(OP)
Judging by the comments in this thread, it seems a lot of people are still unaware that:

1. Gain of function research primarily uses samples collected from nature, and seeks to stimulate their evolution in as natural a way as possible to learn how viruses evolve in nature. If such viruses were to escape the lab, they would appear "natural"

2. It's not xenophobic for people from the US to suggest the possibility of a lab leak, because the US was itself funding gain of function research on novel coronaviruses in the Wuhan BSL4 lab

3. Lab leaks happen more often than most people realize[1]

[1]https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/3/20/18260669/deadly...

>>loveis+Oj
Hi, I have a PhD in virology focused on emerging viruses, and a few months back I wrote a very lengthy and involved piece full of sources.

And in there, I describe exactly how wrong your point 1 is. And how misguided your point 3 is.

The post also won a "best of r/science 2020" award!

You can find it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/gk6y95/covid19_did...

>>jedueh+I31
In what way is point 3 misguided?

>>mister+hd1
Everyone is citing the evidence of the SARS-CoV-1 leak as reason to believe that viruses escape labs.

But you know what's interesting about that?

We know about the CoV-1 leak because /the chinese scientists told us about it./

They owned up to it and told the world and the biosafety community (the people with degrees in these things) helped china become more standard and respectable and safe.

And now 15 years later, with zero evidence, we're accusing them of covering up the same thing.

Scientists are not their government, and China's government is not a huge fan of it's scientists. Just look at the great leap forward. And how they're treating Shi Zhengli now that she is arguing the virus came from a zoonotic event in the provinces. China's party line no longer agrees, and she's been silenced.

Why would she lie for her government when they don't even agree?

>>jedueh+mw1
What you wrote here is not wrong, but point number 3 stated:

> 3. Lab leaks happen more often than most people realize[1]

As I see it, there are two variables involved:

- how frequently lab leaks happen (total number of historic leaks - known + unknown)

- people's realization / awareness of how often they happen

> And now 15 years later, with zero evidence, we're accusing them of covering up the same thing.

Regardless of whether there is evidence or not (have they been perfectly transparent and enthusiastically encouraging of inspections?), a leak did happen, or it did not happen...and then on top of it, there is the problem of whether we have knowledge of it or not.

> Why would she lie for her government when they don't even agree?

Like many other things in life, it is not known.