Slack / Private Message Drop — page 506

[Robert Garry] IN other news: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/chronic-infection-uk-coronavirus-variant. THis part I LIKED!*S* ars-CoV-2 may be the most surveilled virus in history. In the 13 months since virologists Zhang Yongzhen and Edward Holmes published the entire genome of the virus, more than 360,000 Sars-Cov-2 genomes have been sequenced and uploaded to GISAID - a platform for sharing viral genomes. Almost half of those genomes came from the UK, which sequences roughly ten per cent of all its positive Covid-19 tests, making the country a canary in the coal mine for detecting new variants. [2021-02-10 09:56:28] [Robert Garry] Jesse, jesse jesse...Jesse Bloom, a virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, was "surprised to see some members of the team dismiss the accidental lab leak theory while seeming to suggest, without any specific evidence, the possibility that frozen food might have played a role." "I remain agnostic about the origins of SARS-CoV-2," said Bloom, referring to the official name of the virus. "But it's important to have a careful independent accounting of the research into SARS-related coronaviruses that was being done in labs in Wuhan before the emergence of this pandemic, and it doesn't appear that this team accomplished that," Bloom said. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/coronavirus-china-who-wuhan-pandemic/2[... ]021/02/10/f1751148-6b41-11eb-a66e-e27046e9e898_story.html WashPost - the new Fair and Balanced,,, [2021-02-10 12:22:19] [Eddie Holmes] It was always going to be a mix of science and diplomacy. However, it is so much worse because of the presence of Daszak on the team. I've no idea what the WHO were thinking on that one. [2021-02-10 12:32:31] [Robert Garry] Exactly, not certain that the brain engages before every word come out of the Grand Wizard's mouth. [2021-02-10 14:13:13] [Robert Garry] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-00375-7 "Scientists say the WHO team's advice to broaden the search for the virus origin beyond China is justified, especially given f*resh reports of coronaviruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 found in bats in Japan, Cambodia and Thailand."* [2021-02-10 14:16:23] [Robert Garry] https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/state-department-who-expert-clash-on-coronavirus-origin-investigation/ar-BB1 dzAG7"But WHO expert Peter Daszak later pushed back on the statement, saying that President Joe Biden "has to look tough on China." "Please don't rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump & frankly wrong on many aspects," Daszak tweeted. He continued: "I'm disappointed that a statement came out that might undermine the veracity of this work even before the report is released. Again - as the sole US citizen on this team, I'm happy to talk w/ White House re findings of @WHO mission." [2021-02-10 14:31:34] [Eddie Holmes] Interesting comments from Linfa. The state department have nothing, clearly. Posturing. [2021-02-10 15:12:27] [Robert Garry] Agree state department in a tough spot so they are indeed posturing. Dazak - if I may be so bold - is way out of his lane and in danger of further damaging the WHO effort, which was far from perfect. Here he writes, "Please don't rely too much on US intel: increasingly disengaged under Trump & frankly wrong on many aspects," Daszak tweeted." I do not believe that Daszak is an expert on US Intelligence [any form of intelligence?]. As for Lin-fa I'd like to know where else his ACE2BOB assay is taking him....no mention of it in the WHO Briefing. [2021-02-10 15:19:04]