This is why bench biologists should spend some time doing field biology. We’re still discovering new species of bats. Every year. In Southeast Asia. The idea that we could quickly survey THE ENTIRE VIROME OF EVERY SPECIES IN THE REGION is batshit stupid.
https://twitter.com/Ayjchan/status/1430719968388304898
L O L
They already sampled that cave. If SARS-CoV-2 were there, there’s zero reason not to have said so.
OTOH, there are a *lot* of caves and hollow trees across Southeast Asia. Most never sampled. The closest known relative of SARS-CoV-2 was found in a botanical garden!
They already sampled that cave. If SARS-CoV-2 were there, there’s zero reason not to have said so.
OTOH, there are a *lot* of caves and hollow trees across Southeast Asia. Most never sampled. The closest known relative of SARS-CoV-2 was found in a botanical garden!
https://twitter.com/ayjchan/status/1430723726581063682
The proximal origin may not require sampling every virome of every bat in SE Asia, but is no easier. If the proximal source is bush meat, just test the virome of…every wild animal in…Asia? Or tracking down every illegal meat trader for a truthful account of their sourcing.
OTOH, if the source is a farm animal, the farmers may have cleared out their stock. Or replaced so many that the virus is gone. Or SARS-CoV-2 may have infected them (as we know it’s done for even US deer). The trail may be gone.
But finding the wild reservoir (if SARS-CoV-2 hasn’t replaced it in the wild already) would tell us which farms or wild trappers might be worth deeper investigation.
Point is, it’s a detective story where there are nigh-infinite suspects. It’s hard. It’ll take time. As it has for Ebola, did for SARS, MERS, Nipah, flus, and the many other viruses that didn’t have sources identified for years, decades, or indeed ever.
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