Philip Bump
We actually aren't significantly closer to knowing the origin of the coronavirus than we were a few days ago. But any indication that it leaked from a lab is an opportunity that will be used to hyperbolically cast officials and the media as wrong.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/27/china-covid-wuhan-lab-energy-department/?itid=ap_philipbump
The weighted politics of the debate over covid-19 origins

We're not much closer to knowing how the pandemic began, but there's no shortage of people willing to declare victory.

The Washington Post
Feb 28, 2023 at 4:08amWeb
Show threadPhilip BumpFeb 28, 2023
The irony is that the new report about DOE is leading a lot of people to make unwarranted conclusions — which they use to excoriate their opponents for drawing unwarranted conclusions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/02/27/china-covid-wuhan-lab-energy-department/
The weighted politics of the debate over covid-19 origins

We're not much closer to knowing how the pandemic began, but there's no shortage of people willing to declare victory.

The Washington Post
Show threadPhil KFeb 28, 2023
@pbump Colbert’s monologue on this subject tonight was hilarious!
Show threadPhil KFeb 28, 2023
@pbump when did the Energy Department start hiring experts in public health and epidemiology? I thought that was a CDC kind of thing
Show threadMorganaFeb 28, 2023
@pbump Be careful…..
Show threadKanaMaunaFeb 28, 2023

@pbump

It’s interesting how the people who scream the loudest about “lab leak” are also the people most inclined to say that Covid is just the flu. This logic makes no sense. Why are they so frothing mad at the Chinese if the bioweapon was supposedly useless?

Show threadJonKramer, CIS-HETFeb 28, 2023

@pbump will knowing the origin change any aspects of treatment, or would have saved any lives in the past, present, or future?

I suspect that answer is "no," to which I respond I really don't give a rat's ass where it came from.

Show threadEsther2007Feb 28, 2023
@JonKramer @pbump I think knowing how it originated could be helpful in preventing the next pandemic. We might learn something useful.
Show threadJonKramer, CIS-HETFeb 28, 2023
@Esther2007 @pbump , knowing it was once in a lab doesn't help understand origins, treatment, or anything. It's about as relevant as knowing if your Amazon package was delivered in a Ford or Chevy van.
Show threadEsther2007Feb 28, 2023
@JonKramer @pbump But what if there was a safety protocol - either in a market or in a lab - that could be improved to lessen the chances of another pandemic? Don't scientists always want to know how diseases originate?
Show threadJonKramer, CIS-HETFeb 28, 2023
@Esther2007 @pbump , the virus is literally in thousands of labs right now. In most nations around the world. This fact doesn't determine where the virus originated, determine effective treatment, or any other bit of useful information. Refer to my "Ford vs Chevy" comment.
Show threadEsther2007Feb 28, 2023
@JonKramer @pbump So how do we prevent the next pandemic?
Show threadJonKramer, CIS-HETFeb 28, 2023
@Esther2007 @pbump , no clue, but debate and focus on what buildings the virus was once in will not be part of any solution.
Show threadPatFeb 28, 2023

@pbump

In Canada we traced it to the US ,as the country spreading it to us, no matter where it started from or how , that was the callous, malicious accelerant,the direct & immediate cause for us "security risks"
Do I blame America? No . The Republicans & the Orange Pox ,face, of America death spreaders absolutely American people no, current admin no, as they were/are victims too