Prickly City by Scott Stantis for March 20, 2023

Doesn’t matter. It’ll be gone as soon as the weather warms up.

And ivermectin.

What was learned it how easy it is to destroy humans. A few drops of a poisonous virus can spread worldwide in months! China learned a lot

Low confidence reports, meaning the evidence in support of it is very questionable, so not something worth putting much faith in.

Will pinning down where it came from make any difference in how to treat it or fight it?

And now we’re back to evidence of an animal perhaps in an illegal market. That’s the problem of comics deadlines.

It was pretty silly to ban debate, but it was prompted by Trump turning it into an ethnic slur, “Wuhan Virus”, leading to increased anti-Asian hate crimes.

1) I am aware that I know next to nothing about viruses.

2) Some people really are experts.

3) Some OTHER people will doubt EVERYTHING, even if it’s ludicrous. Elvis is still alive.

So which one does it make sense to listen to? Sean Hannity, the immunologist?

Whelp, Stanti, your 2-Weeks-After-the-Fact format, has you back to borderline nutter.

The problem in all this is that the right has to find someone to BLAME for it. The idea that it sprang from rather primitive practices among people who seem to be highly civilized doesn’t fit into their conspiracy-theory mentality. They seem to think it’s political if actual scientists think it sprang from a natural source but it’s even MORE political to think someone has to be blamed for it.

I guess if it “escaped” from a lab (one where there were apparently American scientists working or consulting) we could drop a nuke on the lab and, well, SHOW those pesky Chinese.

Often the simplest explanation for something is the correct one.

Most government intelligence agencies believe it is from an animal, currently looks like racoon dogs. While a lab escape is possible, it remains far from likely.

Scientists now think the virus originated from a Raccoon Dog and yes it’s a real breed. Our biggest problem is China won’t share the data to make sure a deadly virus doesn’t happen again

The question isn’t whether the virus moved from a bat or raccoon dog to a human. the question is – was it in a lab being studied when it moved or was it in nature?

We already know it’s not manufactured. That was shown when they got the DNA to make the vaccine – there are markers for manufactured.

Previous to COVID, Chinese labs had a reputation for sloppy security, including instances where lab animals that were supposed to be destroyed were instead being sold at markets. (not from the Wuhan lab) So it’s possible that there’s some combination of lab and market involved. But I’m no expert.

With the Chinese government not cooperating much, we’ll likely never know for sure.