The WHO team investigating the beginnings and early development of the Covid-19 pandemic is now on the scene.
This will be reeeally interesting, epidemiologically.
(nb, Note the distinction between the start of the virus, and the start of the outbreak)

SMH, today
The difficult question facing WHO investigators as they touch down in Wuhan

An Australian scientist on the ground in Wuhan as part of a global investigation into the origin of the coronavirus pandemic says the outbreak started there, but whether or not the virus itself started in China is a difficult question and key to the investigation.

"The outbreak certainly started in China, whether the virus started in China is difficult to tell.
We know there are very closely related virus in bats in China, also other countries in South-East Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan even".

The investigations in Wuhan are likely to last until about mid-February but could also lead to other countries, with the goal of finding out what caused the virus, but also providing lessons for governments for responding to future pandemics.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal ... 56uh6.html

(nb, imo. Although political issues will certainly arise from this investigation - if we use this primarily as a China bashing opportunity, we will not learn what we need to in order to deal with the next one.
Especially if our mind is already made up.
The purpose of this scientific investigation is for the world's health and security - Not politics

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:36 pm I thought the PRC didn't want any investigation. Wasn't that what pissed them off about Australia leading the impetus for that?

It's ok now they're had 9 months to cover everything up,

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:36 pm I thought the PRC didn't want any investigation. Wasn't that what pissed them off about Australia leading the impetus for that?

It is part of the reason China is still pissed off with Oztraya.
Not long after that call, WHO voted (by is members) to set up an investigation - but in slightly less confrontational manner than Au did.
After months of negotiation, this is the result.

It seems to me to be the best they could get.
I know for sure the aussie, Prof Dwyer, is a straight shooter. imo, No way would he cover up a cover-up.

Realities;
They are there at China's grace.
It is too late to get the fine details of the pandemic's beginnings. But they can still learn heaps.
They will be extra extremely "diplomatic" in the way they present their findings (scientist always are anyway) - but i don't believe it will be a snow-job. At all.

I reckon they will uncover as much as they possibly can, and present all of their findings.
These are not WHO bureaucrats. These are the crew that should be running the show.
Listen to what they say.

This whole investigation seems pointless. The virus jumped from animals to humans as viruses have done in pandemics for thousands of years. The fact that it happened in China is irrelevant - it could happen anywhere. The Spanish Flu for example is said to have originated in Kansas. It has never been established in any pandemic exactly when or how it started and this one will be no different. Whatever their findings it will happen again with another new virus at some point in the future. We can only hope that the next time it will not be accompanied by a pandemic of hysteria.

samrong01 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 7:03 am This whole investigation seems pointless. The virus jumped from animals to humans as viruses have done in pandemics for thousands of years. The fact that it happened in China is irrelevant - it could happen anywhere. The Spanish Flu for example is said to have originated in Kansas. It has never been established in any pandemic exactly when or how it started and this one will be no different. Whatever their findings it will happen again with another new virus at some point in the future. We can only hope that the next time it will not be accompanied by a pandemic of hysteria.

you are wrong

disease sources are often traced to a good level of confidence
spanish flu very likely originated in china, carrier to the us via canada by chinese workers
there is a 'reasonable' chance covid19 escaped from the wuhan lab

personally i now believe it's more likely than not

trump is calling for 'transparency', lol:
https://www.state.gov/ensuring-a-transp ... 9s-origin/

atst wrote:

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 10:36 pm I thought the PRC didn't want any investigation. Wasn't that what pissed them off about Australia leading the impetus for that?

It's ok now they're had 9 months to cover everything up,

This... Too little too late as usual.

Phnom Poon wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:46 pm

samrong01 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 7:03 am This whole investigation seems pointless. The virus jumped from animals to humans as viruses have done in pandemics for thousands of years. The fact that it happened in China is irrelevant - it could happen anywhere. The Spanish Flu for example is said to have originated in Kansas. It has never been established in any pandemic exactly when or how it started and this one will be no different. Whatever their findings it will happen again with another new virus at some point in the future. We can only hope that the next time it will not be accompanied by a pandemic of hysteria.

you are wrong

disease sources are often traced to a good level of confidence
spanish flu very likely originated in china, carrier to the us via canada by chinese workers
there is a 'reasonable' chance covid19 escaped from the wuhan lab

personally i now believe it's more likely than not

You have proved my point. You say that the Spanish Flu originated in China but others say it originated in Kansas. It has never been clearly established. A "level of confidence" is not the same as certainty. There is a "reasonable" chance that Covid19 originated in the Wuhan lab but it will never be established with certainty.

nothing is certain, except mathematics

but that doesn't mean you can't find the most likely truth
just as with criminal cases in a court