---
type: Conversation
title: Private channel session 815
description: "slack conversation, 16 messages, 2021-01-16."
tags:
  - conversation
  - slack
medium: slack
message_count: 16
started_at: "2021-01-16T14:53:33"
ended_at: "2021-01-16T16:10:49"
duration_seconds: 4636
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 16 messages spanning 1h 17m.

# Metadata

- **Started:** 2021-01-16T14:53:33
- **Ended:** 2021-01-16T16:10:49
- **Duration:** 1h 17m
- **Participants:** 4
- **Source:** [slack_pm](/sources/slack-pm.md)
- **Pages:** 411-412

# 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

**[2021-01-16T14:53:33] Robert F. Garry:** Agree with the idea that these actually are pango viruses and not just repeated spillovers.

**[2021-01-16T14:58:48] Andrew Rambaut:** 77 H1N1 had sat in a freezer for 25 years. Was bleeding obvious from the phylogenetics. It was demonstrated in 1978 through hybridization methods https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0042682278902039?via%3Dihub

**[2021-01-16T15:00:51] Kristian G. Andersen:** I explained this to Jesse previously.... I do not believe there's a single documented emergence event of a novel virus to a human from the lab, let alone one starting an outbreak/epidemic/pandemic. Yes, plenty of lab leaks, but all of the known kind and all easilyidentifiable.

**[2021-01-16T15:03:21] Edward C. Holmes:** Yes, all correct.

**[2021-01-16T15:04:39] Edward C. Holmes:** Can't see any real point in entering into a debate on this. We just need new data.

**[2021-01-16T15:05:09] Kristian G. Andersen:** New data... Hah - I'm sure that'll convince 'em :wink:

**[2021-01-16T15:07:18] Robert F. Garry:** All good points. I'm surprised at all the love and comfort given to the conspiracy theorists. Jesse, Relman obviously, now ME. [shared file(s): image.png]

**[2021-01-16T15:07:48] Edward C. Holmes:** Of course not, but it's not about convincing them - it's about producing the most complete scientific picture possible.

**[2021-01-16T15:09:10] Edward C. Holmes:** He forgot 'scientific reasons'.

**[2021-01-16T15:10:56] Kristian G. Andersen:** Hah

**[2021-01-16T15:12:00] Robert F. Garry:** Not surprising ME a wannabe politician [briefly ran for Senate] and likely pissed of that Biden picked EL for the WHpost.

**[2021-01-16T15:20:23] Robert F. Garry:** But, the more I look at RmYN02 and RaTG13 s1/s2 cleavage sites the more I'm convinced that there's a bat CoV out there with at least a very close homolg to SARS FCS already there. QTQTNS plus NSPAAR. Put'em together and what'a you got?

**[2021-01-16T15:40:01] Robert F. Garry:** I do keep messing with this. [shared file(s): image.png]

**[2021-01-16T15:41:05] Edward C. Holmes:** You should get a job at the WIV Bob.

**[2021-01-16T15:44:35] Robert F. Garry:** I'm told they love me (us) over there.

**[2021-01-16T16:10:49] Edward C. Holmes:** Hi Bob, I've gone over the Google Docs text and it looks good! The only that I don't quite follow is the logic thecomparisons to RmYN02 as I don't see this virus as being 'ancestral' or falling particularly deep in the phylogeny.We could probably determine the ancestral sequence for all these positions but it will take a bit of work.