1. I woke up today to BBC world news mentioning George Gao on the radio:
"“The possibility Covid virus leaked from a lab should not be ruled out"
"You can always suspect anything. That's science. Don't rule out anything"
I almost choked on my toast!
bbc.com/news/world-asi…
2. "Risky"
On the surface, Prof Gao's comments about not ruling out a lab leak appear seriously at odds with China's publicly stated position. Risky even.
"We really don't know where the virus came from… the question is still open," Prof Gao told the BBC
3. "Proximal Origin of Sars-Cov-2"
Lipkin (one of the authors) said he now doubts the strength of that earlier conclusion & ruling out any lab-based scenario was putting it too strongly.
"He volunteers a theory of his own, pointing to another Wuhan laboratory - run by the WCDC"
4. Where did Covid come from?
China has not done enough to look for evidence or share it & though it may seem like a simple question, it's anything but
"For every life lost, for everyone who's suffered & who continue to suffer, the answer matters"
Thanks @TheJohnSudworth
5. Fever: The Hunt for Covid's Origin (BBC Podcast)
Only Episode 1 by @TheJohnSudworth is available so far, but this is definitely something you will need to follow.
bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m…
6. Back to George Gao
April 20 at #PathogensProject Conference
Some clips of interest via @CD57227 in a thread:
7. Vero Cells
They tried everything, only to find that:
"Within 5 days, SC-2 grows very well in Vero Cells"
Man Made?
Lab Leak?
Virus already adapted to cell lines very well
It's possible, it's logical thinking
Where's the evidence?
Facts are Facts
8. There is No Conclusion!
The 30 minute Gao Presentation "A view from China"
On intermediate hosts, (e.g. raccoon dogs)
"there is no conclusion"
See
and
h/t @gumby4christ and @Florin_Uncovers
9. No wonder @stuartjdneil wasn't very happy...
via @Graybea71861266
10. Gao has even more doubts now (SARS & MERS)
"Now we need to revisit "the beautiful theories", we also need to rethink the (animal origin) hypotheses for MERS and SARS 1"
11. Remember, Gao knows more than we do
He was privy to the most confidential information
Revealed by @AliceCHughes in an interview, who found out some information about the Market Swabs
12. More on Vero E6
I noticed the usual condescending response from @stuartjdneil who pompously attempts to lecture me about Vero E6 cell lines
Instead of wasting my time responding to his insolence I will dedicate the next part of the thread to Vero E6
13. BRB, Time for a wee break.
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