---
type: Conversation
title: Private channel session 144
description: "slack conversation, 12 messages, 2020-06-08."
tags:
  - conversation
  - slack
medium: slack
message_count: 12
started_at: "2020-06-08T20:15:00"
ended_at: "2020-06-08T20:48:48"
duration_seconds: 2028
sources:
  - { id: slack_pm, resource: /sources/slack-pm.md, title: Slack / Private Message Drop, author: "process:senate-hsgac-release" }
generated: { by: randpaul-corpus-pipeline/1.0, at: "2026-08-01T12:42:27Z" }
status: stable
---

A slack conversation of 12 messages spanning 0h 33m.

# Metadata

- **Started:** 2020-06-08T20:15:00
- **Ended:** 2020-06-08T20:48:48
- **Duration:** 0h 33m
- **Participants:** 2
- **Source:** [slack_pm](/sources/slack-pm.md)
- **Pages:** 63-64

# Participants

* [Andrew Rambaut](/people/andrew-rambaut.md)
* [Edward C. Holmes](/people/edward-c-holmes.md)
* [Kristian G. Andersen](/people/kristian-g-andersen.md)
* [Robert F. Garry](/people/robert-f-garry.md)

# Transcript

**[2020-06-08T20:15:00] Edward C. Holmes:** https://abcnews.go.com/International/satellite-data-suggests-coronavirus-hit-china-earlier-researchers/story?id=71123270

**[2020-06-08T20:16:57] Edward C. Holmes:** Bull-sheet

**[2020-06-08T20:23:29] Kristian G. Andersen:** _"On Oct. 10, 2018, there were 171 cars in the parking lot of Wuhan's Tianyou Hospital, one of the city's largest. Ayear later, satellites recorded 285 cars -- a 67% increase"_ I'm convinced... _"Something was happening in October"_ Like flu or something?

**[2020-06-08T20:23:51] Kristian G. Andersen:** _"Using techniques similar to those employed by intelligence agencies"_ Like satellite data and shit?

**[2020-06-08T20:24:40] Kristian G. Andersen:** _"Clearly, there was some level of social disruption taking place well before what was previously identified as the start of the novel coronavirus pandemic."_ Whatever that was, it wasn't COVID - we know this very specifically from the genetic data.

**[2020-06-08T20:25:12] Edward C. Holmes:** It's compelling. Apparently, there was also a 14% increase in the sale of wet wipes and toilet duck.

**[2020-06-08T20:25:49] Kristian G. Andersen:** Holy shit.

**[2020-06-08T20:26:21] Edward C. Holmes:** :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:

**[2020-06-08T20:27:45] Kristian G. Andersen:** I can't _*possibly*_ think of anything else that could explain an increase in wet wipes and toilet ducks - _obviously_ this must have been COVID. THERE JUST AREN'T ANY OTHER EXPLANATIONS WHATSOEVER. NONE! COVID! THEY LIED!John Brownstein - I just lost some respect for the guy.

**[2020-06-08T20:42:01] Edward C. Holmes:** I was joking about the wet wipes and toilet duck. Still BS though.

**[2020-06-08T20:45:31] Edward C. Holmes:** If it had been there in August - causing lots of people to drive to hospitals - the docs would have been on it way before December.

**[2020-06-08T20:48:48] Kristian G. Andersen:** Yup - it's absurd. Plus, our TMRCA probably wouldn't have been mid-November to early-December.