Slack / Private Message Drop — page 194

[Robert Garry] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8773985/Britain-plans-withhold-cash-finds-coronavirus-came-from.html Boris gets into the act to help his pal Donald. [2020-09-27 06:28:14] [Andrew Rambaut] But then there was this bit of the speech: > But even as we strive for a vaccine, we must never cut corners, slim down the trials or sacrifice safety to speed. Because it would be an absolute tragedy if in our eagerness, we were to boost the nutjobs - the anti vaxxers, dangerous obsessives who campaign against the whole concept of vaccination and who would risk further millions of lives. [2020-09-27 06:28:52] [Andrew Rambaut] Probably the first time 'nutjobs' has been used in a speech to the UNGA. [2020-09-27 06:30:11] [Andrew Rambaut] But then there was this bit: > Our first aim should be to stop a new disease before it starts. About 60 percent of the pathogens circulating in the human population originated in animals and leapt from one species to the other in a "zoonotic" transmission. The world could seek to minimise the danger by forging a global network of zoonotic research hubs, charged with spotting dangerous animal pathogens that may cross the species barrier and infect human beings. Which I imagine is the whole Cameron/Illumina/GVP thing [2020-09-27 06:38:10] [Robert Garry] For sure Trump stands head and shoulders above Boris on the nutjob scale. Setting up "zoonotic research hubs" would be vastly superior to GVP if done correctly. GVP is just a money grab. [2020-09-27 06:45:09] [Robert Garry] https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/World-needs-to-know-origins-of-COVID-19-Australia-PM-tells-UN [2020-09-27 06:49:04] [Robert Garry] I hope he's talking about which bat species carries the direct progenitor... [2020-09-27 14:12:52] [Eddie Holmes] Australia has pushed this line for months and it has really pissed off China. I don't think it's unreasonable. They are not really thinking lab origins, more the wildlife trade/wet market angle. It seems ok to me and China would do well to be more open. But they are seeing it as a threat to their sovereignty and they are acting as the local bully. The Johnson thing is very interesting. I have a very bad feeling that Daszak et al. are going to be put in charge and will be given buckets of cash. [2020-09-27 17:43:38] [Robert Garry] Agree on all counts Eddie and share the bad feeling. [2020-09-27 18:26:51] [Eddie Holmes] Just heard that Xander stuck a formal complaint to my research integrity office. They're going to write a short report telling him where to stick it. I think they are getting in touch with your research integrity offices as well. What a waste of time. [2020-09-27 19:29:56]