Origin of the Coronavirus

[activeStick]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1633253610883522561

[jjgallow]

Originally Posted by activeStick

1633253610883522561

https://twitter.com/angie_rasmussen/...66964410802176



Interesting that the WHO should take a victory lap

[jjgallow]

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/10/covi...-lab-leak.html

[White Out 403]

it was both incredibly gratifying and infuriating to hear the NYT daily admit that that trump made the lab leak theory politically toxic and prevented scientists from taking it seriously earlier. they were just as guilty as anyone else. but at least they sort of owned up to it by admitting it was a thing

[AltaGuy]

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/...b-leak/673390/

This week, an international team of virologists, genomicists, and evolutionary biologists may have finally found crucial data to help fill that knowledge gap. A new analysis of genetic sequences collected from the market shows that raccoon dogs being illegally sold at the venue could have been carrying and possibly shedding the virus at the end of 2019. It’s some of the strongest support yet, experts told me, that the pandemic began when SARS-CoV-2 hopped from animals into humans, rather than in an accident among scientists experimenting with viruses.

[getbak]

What the #### is a raccoon dog?

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by getbak

What the #### is a raccoon dog?

They look EXACTLY how you’d imagine.

[Fuzz]

Wooa. Coondog.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Wooa. Coondog.

Anyone curious about raccoon dogs (tanukis) should watch the best Ghibli movie ever made, Pom Poko. It's also possibly the greatest movie ever made in general and absolutely is the best use of testicles/scrotums on screen.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Wooa. Coondog.

Just looked this up. I had no idea they were now a common invasive species across many parts of Europe.

When down a bit of an invasive species rabbit hole....the Greater Rhea is a major problem in parts of Germany:

https://www.dw.com/en/giant-south-am...any/a-46760753

1 male and 5 females escaped a farm in 2000, leading to a population of over 600 that was only brought under control after they allowed hunting.

[Bill Bumface]

Does this mean the mighty pangolin is no longer the official mascot of COVID?

[OldDutch]

Originally Posted by AltaGuy

https://www.theatlantic.com/science/...b-leak/673390/

Not really. I am also not believing 3 year old data the Chinese suddenly uploaded now that the noose is closing.

Goldstein and his colleagues say their analysis is the first solid indication that there may have been wildlife infected with the coronavirus at the market. But it is also possible that humans brought the virus to the market and infected the raccoon dogs, or that infected humans simply happened to leave traces of the virus near the animals.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid...gins-1.6782273

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Kybosh

Anyone curious about raccoon dogs (tanukis) should watch the best Ghibli movie ever made, Pom Poko. It's also possibly the greatest movie ever made in general and absolutely is the best use of testicles/scrotums on screen.

Honestly, all the conspiracy theories have been worth it to get to this moment. The moment where I finally learn why Tanooki Mario looks like a raccoon. God it feels good to be alive.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Honestly, all the conspiracy theories have been worth it to get to this moment. The moment where I finally learn why Tanooki Mario looks like a raccoon. God it feels good to be alive.

But it still doesn't explain how wearing a raccoon dog suit made him able to fly.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Does this mean the mighty pangolin is no longer the official mascot of COVID?

I've killed so many since the start of the pandemic. Have I been wrong all this time?

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by getbak

But it still doesn't explain how wearing a raccoon dog suit made him able to fly.

Some of God’s mysteries are not meant to be solved.

[Kybosh]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Some of God’s mysteries are not meant to be solved.

Ahem, I refer back to my comment on the magical tanuki testicles which allow them to do all sorts of things. That's right, Tanuki Mario flies with his testicles.

"Tanukis have legendarily been known to use their testicles as makeshift raincoats, as weapons, and as drums. They knead and massage them into the shape they desire, and often impersonate humans to buy alcohol and delicacies, which is where the tanuki fits into modern Japanese culture."

[activeStick]

Aww they're kind cute to be honest

[driveway]

Having lived in Asia for over a decade, it will take some very, very strong evidence to move me off of my personal belief that the following is the origin of the pandemic:

1) The Wuhan lab was experimenting with coronaviruses

2) Staff at the lab were making extra money by selling animals & meat to the wet market

3) An animal infected with a coronavirus ended up at the wetmarket, and from there infected either people directly, or another animal and from there people.

I'm not sure if you'd classify this as a 'lableak' or a 'zoonotic' or what, but nothing I've read has come close to moving me off this belief.

[Fuzz]

Just curious as I hadn't seen it mentioned before, are there news stories about #2?