this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024
81 points (98.8% liked)

the_dunk_tank

15914 readers
12 users here now

It's the dunk tank.

This is where you come to post big-brained hot takes by chuds, libs, or even fellow leftists, and tear them to itty-bitty pieces with precision dunkstrikes.

Rule 1: All posts must include links to the subject matter, and no identifying information should be redacted.

Rule 2: If your source is a reactionary website, please use archive.is instead of linking directly.

Rule 3: No sectarianism.

Rule 4: TERF/SWERFs Not Welcome

Rule 5: No ableism of any kind (that includes stuff like libt*rd)

Rule 6: Do not post fellow hexbears.

Rule 7: Do not individually target other instances' admins or moderators.

Rule 8: The subject of a post cannot be low hanging fruit, that is comments/posts made by a private person that have low amount of upvotes/likes/views. Comments/Posts made on other instances that are accessible from hexbear are an exception to this. Posts that do not meet this requirement can be posted to !shitreactionariessay@lemmygrad.ml

Rule 9: if you post ironic rage bait im going to make a personal visit to your house to make sure you never make this mistake again

founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I didn't click the link because I don't want to give them views. Unlimited WHATABOUTISM replies when you point out the United States is currently dealing with Bird Flu, Listeria, and more covid variants because Americans won't mask, vaccinate, or quarantine.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't think I saw it anywhere in this thread, so I'll point it out here: covid is a variant of SARS. SARS likely originated among cave bats in China and spread once humans came into contact with them.

SARS was identified in 2003 when a major outbreak occurred. It spread to numerous countries, including the US, Canada, France, and South Africa. It had nearly 20 years to mutate into covid-19 in a variety of locations. For all we know, it jumped to another species of bat in Europe or the US then caused the pandemic in 2019.

[–] rootsbreadandmakka@hexbear.net 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Do you have a source for this stuff? I’m not an expert by a long shot, but I’ve never read anything suggesting that sars-cov-2 was descended from sars-cov-1, in fact most things I’ve read say they are completely different lineages.

[–] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Only what I've seen on Wikipedia and in news reports when the pandemic hit. I'm no expert on viruses, either. As far as I know, there hasn't been any conclusions about where covid-19 evolved.

I just think western media tries to blame too much on China without much evidence themselves. We could be in a similar situation like the Spanish Flu, which started in Kansas but no one reported it until it hit Spain. China may be the first to report both SARS and covid-19, but may not be the origin of one or both. The virus could have easily started in Vietnam or Cambodia, for example.

[–] rootsbreadandmakka@hexbear.net 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

As far as I know, there hasn't been any conclusions about where covid-19 evolved.

Afaik the direct ancestor hasn’t been found, but every coronavirus from which Covid-19 evolved comes from Southeast Asia. SARS splits off a bit before evolution into Covid-19 so the one can’t be descended from the other.

That’s my understanding at least. Vietnam, Cambodia, anywhere in that region I’m willing to accept, but beyond that I think you need lab leak to make the theory work. Fort Detrick I’m not opposed to but there are mountains of evidence pointing to natural origins and calling into question not just lab leak from China, but lab leak in general, so I’m more inclined towards natural origins.

Looking into this more rn it seems another reason China was identified as the origin point is because initially that was where we found COVID’s closest known relative - in Yunnan specifically. However it seems that even closer relatives have now been found in Laos. Still not a direct ancestor, but you might be right that Covid didn’t originate in China itself.