Desperation is inferring the existence of an infected animal at the market from the presence of animal genetic material at the market, which had been plastered with virus across its >9 NFL field-sized retail space. #OriginOfCovid
Desperation is inferring the existence of an infected animal at the market from the presence of animal genetic material at the market, which had been plastered with virus across its >9 NFL field-sized retail space. #OriginOfCovid
The presence of animal genetic material sampled from surfaces at the Wuhan market in Jan 2020 doesn't tell us: 1. If there were live animals in Nov/Dec 2019. 2. How many there were, if present. 3. If the animals were infected with the virus.
Considering that it is a surface and not an animal that is being sampled, contaminating genetic material cannot be used to determine the host that shed the virus. There is nothing in the sequencing data that says the virus came from a human or a raccoon dog.
Recall in 2020 when the virus was found on a chopping board for imported salmon at a Beijing market. If you sampled the chopping board, would you find more human or fish genetic material? Would that tell you if it was the 🧍 or 🐟 that shed the virus? bbc.com/news/world-asi…
Examples of evidence of infected animals/animal source of the virus: 1. Infected animals at market or supply chain 2. Animal variants of the virus 3. Serological evidence that the animal traders had been exposed to SARS2-like viruses before the pandemic
Not evidence of infected animals/animal source of the virus: 1. Animals present at the market 2. Early cluster of cases at the market Both facts known in early 2020 and consistent with human superspreader event at the market.
Notably, in order to explain why all the Dec 2019 market cases were only infected with Lineage B of the virus, the Proximal Origin group had to push the 1st spillover as happening only on 18 Nov 2019. If non-market cases in Nov are found, their hypothesis will be obliterated.
World Health Organization correctly assessed the meaning of the new data: "What the data do show is molecular evidence that animals were sold at the market and some animals there were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, said the WHO's COVID technical lead"
This is what the world was told in January 2020 by the Chinese authorities: “The origin of the new coronavirus is the wildlife sold illegally in a Wuhan seafood market,” Gao Fu, director of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, told a briefing. reuters.com/article/us-chi…
So I'm surprised that everyone is so shocked three years later to hear that there was raccoon dog genetic material at a stall known to have sold these animals.
@Ayjchan Ironic that the name of the person who first said that Covid-19 originated in the wet market was Gao Fu.