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Slack / Private Message Drop, pp.1033-1034 [SLACK_001247] · slack_pm:msg:10804

Page text: p.1033, p.1034 · original PDF

Date
2021-11-26 13:58
Type
chat message · slack
recipient
Robert F. Garry, Edward C. Holmes, Andrew Rambaut
speaker
Kristian G. Andersen
Topics
Lab-leak / accidental release hypothesis

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If this all came down to "what's the likelihood of a lab leak", then sure, all of this would be very concerning. However,we have to contend with all the "unlikelihood" that would have to happen _upstream_ and _downstream_ of anactual lab leak for that to explain how SC2 emerged in the human population, plus, of course, actual evidence. People love to focus on the "lab leak happens" part and then forget about everything else. If you live in that vacuum,sure, it can be hard to convince yourself that's not how this happened. Problem is, we don't live in a vacuum.

Extracted statements

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StatementGradeAttributionStance
If this all came down to "what's the likelihood of a lab leak", then sure, all of this would be very concerning. quoted / not their view quoted_external sentence carries quotation marks asserts
However,we have to contend with all the "unlikelihood" that would have to happen _upstream_ and _downstream_ of anactual lab leak for that to explain how SC2 emerged in the human population, plus, of course, actual evidence. quoted / not their view quoted_external sentence carries quotation marks asserts

In context

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  1. 2021-11-26 13:54 Edward C. Holmes open
    Totally agree.
  2. 2021-11-26 13:55 Robert F. Garry open
    Me too - consistent from day 1.
  3. 2021-11-26 13:56 Kristian G. Andersen open
    Yup - not my problem that people are now only discovering this and finding it scary. Typically this line of argument ispresented as if new information has been unearthed very recently and it's somehow new knowledge. Complete bollocks.
  4. 2021-11-26 13:56 Robert F. Garry open
    Not to mention that certain Rhabdoviruses are literally the most deadly viruses on the planet...
  5. 2021-11-26 13:58 Kristian G. Andersen
    If this all came down to "what's the likelihood of a lab leak", then sure, all of this would be very concerning. However,we have to contend with all the "unlikelihood" that would have to happen _upstream_ and _downstream_ of anactual lab leak for that to explain how SC2 emerged in the human population, plus, of course, actual evidence. People love to focus on the "lab leak happens" part and then forget about everything else. If you live in that vacuum,sure, it can be hard to convince yourself that's not how this happened. Problem is, we don't live in a vacuum.
  6. 2021-11-26 14:03 Andrew Rambaut open
    Perhaps a commentary timed for shortly after the Zoonati paper discussing how, given the origins are now reasonably pinned down, important it is to separate the issues and make some sensible positions on lab risk (and aswe dicussed this morning the much greater risk from field work)
  7. 2021-11-26 14:03 Kristian G. Andersen open
    Very good idea!
  8. 2021-11-26 14:05 Kristian G. Andersen open
    Make it clear that: (1) separate debate on biosafety in the light of how widespread SARSr viruses are, and (2) that continued investigations to understand their emergence is required, including figuring out exactly how SC2 poppedup (and SC1 for that matter).
  9. 2021-11-26 14:05 Edward C. Holmes open
    Yup, I'm all for that.

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