Chat message

Slack / Private Message Drop, p.494 [SLACK_000708] · slack_pm:msg:05151

Date: 2021-02-07 02:02
Type: chat message · slack
recipient: Kristian G. Andersen, Robert F. Garry, Edward C. Holmes
speaker: Andrew Rambaut

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I have no interest in interacting with the nutters but I think it is important to make it clear what people like Jesse Bloom and Trevor are saying when they claim it is a plausible scenario that needs investigating. They are not being all sciency and reasonable.

In context

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2021-02-07 01:00 Robert F. Garry open

Andrew put his finger on the pivotal point. A lab origin of SC2 is possible *ONLY IF WIV ALREADY* had SC2 or a virus 99% similar to SC2. The other so-called lab theories, like 1. the Steve Hilton theory that you could cobbletogether SC2 from a bit of GD pango spliced onto RATG13 or 2. the Alina theory that passaging RatG13 on human cells/hACE transgenics gets you SC2 are as Kristian says strictly amateur hour or virologist cosplay. I*F WIV ALREADY* had SC2 or a virus 99% similar to SC2 and was working on it then Shi is the greatest cover-up artistever. A true magician the likes of whom the world has never seen. If so, RaTG13 is the ultimate magician's rabbit -cute, distracting and totally a sleight of hand. Hey look over there - RatG13 is the closest we got. Stated another way- the only way SC2 is a product of GOF research is if WIV had preSC2 aka the 99% progenitor already. Eddie has identified what should be the goal of the WHO team: clarity. Will we get it?
2021-02-07 01:12 Andrew Rambaut open

Which is why people saying that a lab origin is not a conspiracy theory are completely wrong - including Bloom, Bedford etc. If it was in fact a lab origin then there was SC2 progenitor in WIV or where-ever and there has been aconspiracy to hide that fact. The problem with that is that prior to the emergence of SC2 there would have been noreason to hide the fact the virus existed and was being worked on.
2021-02-07 01:26 Edward C. Holmes open

Oh it's a conspiracy theory. I just got a message from Peter Daszak asking me about the photos I took in the marketin 2014. Perhaps the market is back in? In his latest interviews he talks about important clues there.
2021-02-07 02:02 Andrew Rambaut

I have no interest in interacting with the nutters but I think it is important to make it clear what people like Jesse Bloom and Trevor are saying when they claim it is a plausible scenario that needs investigating. They are not being all sciency and reasonable.

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