Slatsextend

Too much talk , too much posturing , who all has been bought out by the ******* Chinese and staying quiet �,
our way of life forever shattered .......... What can be done ? I believe it’s time to BOYCOTT all matters Chinese and anything related
to China ........ We have worthless and meaningless protests all around our country, but no protests against China ��

Excargodog

if you are serious, nuke them until they glow. It’s the only way to be sure. If you are rational, learn from your mistakes and keep essential supply lines domestic even if foreign is cheaper.

Slatsextend

Fully agree , there is much that needs to be done to effectively handle the Chinese government, the Chinese are still too involved with our way of life , it is outrageous that it is now 7 months after the COVID 19 virus 🦠 and we still are in the back pockets of China 🇨🇳

velosnow

It is really China's fault or that of a world bent on endless consumerism and economic expansion? Many of the recent bugs & viruses can be directly traced to human encroachment on wild places and the need for so much meat consumption. World meat consumption has jumped 260% in the last half century. Viruses jumping species is a byproduct of all this progress. Actions have consequences, so we might need to ask ourselves how much is enough?

I'm no fan of the Chinese government, but we made the decision to go into business with them so we need to look in the mirror for some of this. Sure, the initial reaction or inaction could be worth some sanctions but our own government royally screwed up our response as well.

I certainly wouldn't complain about bringing some manufacturing back in house. But we live in a global economy now and the world is only getting smaller. Looking at nearly 10 billion people by 2050, gotta find smarter ways to balance nature and us, let alone getting along with each other.

Excargodog

Viruses were jumping across species over 4000 years ago. Smallpox likely started as a camel virus in North Africa.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4379562/


Yellow fever was a primate virus in Africa 3000 years ago... and still is.

Dengue originated in monkeys about 800 years ago.

Measles started out as a Cattle disease, diverging from rinderpest between the 11th and 12th century.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...413928208title


The ancestral Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), that causes chicken pox and shingles, co-evolved with apes, hominids and humans. Along with VZV, its closest alphaherpesvirus relatives herpes simplex 1 (HSV1, ‘cold sores’) and herpes simplex 2 (HSV2, genital herpes) have a common ancestor that is approximately 120 million years old. If the age estimates for the herpes phylogenetic tree are accurate, the evolution of the alphaherpesviruses (VZV, HSV1, HSV2) coincides with the split of Africa from the supercontinent Godwanaland.

Viruses jumping species has been going on for a LONG time. Modern things like - well, airliners, might facilitate the spread somewhat, but it doesn’t cause it. And we’ve been omnivores since before Neanderthal days, so I don’t think you are going to get the world to suddenly go vegan.

velosnow

Of course it has been going on for a long time, but recent pushes deeper into the jungles & forests are accelerating it. An article from 2017...

"The world is now in uncharted territorywhen it comes to infectious diseases. We're facing a whole new era. Over the past century, the number of new infectious diseases cropping up each year has nearly quadrupled. The number of outbreaks per year has more than tripled."

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsan...re-on-the-rise

I love me some bacon, among many other tasty meats but recognize the impact it has. Point is, our lifestyles the world over are creating issues we either didn't foresee or frankly just don't care enough to do anything about. One day that could all very seriously bite us much harder than previous outbreaks combined.

Mesabah

Genetic analysis of the SARS2 virus, isolates Wuhan being the location of the common ancestor, so the virus originated there in the fall of 2019. There isn't an animal native or consumed for that matter, anywhere close to Wuhan that can be the host for this virus. For example, a tree shrew, that's found a thousand miles away from Wuhan is a very possible candidate. I think the question to ask, is how far scientists should be allowed to go in the study of these viruses, if safety can be compromised like it has in Wuhan China?

Excargodog

Actually, local bats carry the disease - as do pangolins which are smuggled in for their supposed medicinal properties.

Mesabah

Neither of those animals could have provided the mutation of this virus.

velosnow

Studies continue to point to a natural jump, exactly how & when may never be known sadly. There is little, if any evidence to support other claims. Otherwise mere speculation.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/...nalysis-nature

To your last point, studying pathogens has always been a dangerous task. There are many examples of things going wrong around the world and even here in the States. What we need are treaties to cover proper handling, classification, what should be studied and better sharing of data. Thankfully science does a decent job of not being beholden to politics, but we need to let our politics assist science instead of fighting against it.