High Sierra Topix

The Chinese government set up two special labs in Wuhan to study bat transmitted coronaviruses. In the 2010s, they asked for American help, which was provided. Our experts reported back that the Chinese were taking short-cuts that were dangerous and could lead to an accidental pandemic.

Fast forward to 2019. The Chinese claim that the virus started at a market where people bought bats. Except...the market doesn't sell bats. And everyone who has looked into the story--doctors, scientists, journalists--has "disappeared."

So yes. This is the China Virus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... naviruses/

franklin411 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:23 am The Chinese government set up two special labs in Wuhan to study bat transmitted coronaviruses. In the 2010s, they asked for American help, which was provided. Our experts reported back that the Chinese were taking short-cuts that were dangerous and could lead to an accidental pandemic.

Fast forward to 2019. The Chinese claim that the virus started at a market where people bought bats. Except...the market doesn't sell bats. And everyone who has looked into the story--doctors, scientists, journalists--has "disappeared."

So yes. This is the China Virus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... naviruses/

FIRST: I have no love for the chinese gov't or its handling of information.

OK, so like a couple things here: Bats are considered the most likely reservoir species for this branch of the CoronaVirus tree (not ONLY Sar-CoV2/Covid19, but other related coronaviruses also). However, it is not considered likely that the virus was transmitted directly from bats, but rather via an intermediate host species. This could be anything technically, but I believe the leading candidates are Civets(same as 2013 SARS-CoV) or Pangolins. MERS(MERS-CoV) was a bat-originated species also, with an intermediate host of camels.

So that OP-Ed lacks significant credence when the thrust of the argument is "there's no bats". "First identified case" doesn't mean a lot with a virus that can spread substantially without severe symptoms and has a long incubation period.

As for the "Chinese Virus" naming argument: don't fall for it. There's little debate this virus originated in China.


Language has a purpose: To communicate information. If "Wuhan Virus" or "China Virus" had been the original name of the virus to enter the lexicon, had been widely adopted and universally recognized as what it refers to, I would never advocate for changing the name... but those names weren't used. CoVid-19 and "CoronaVirus" or some version thereof has fulfulled the purpose of communicating effectively.

HOWEVER... Re-branding the virus is a blunt demagoguery tactic being used to direct blame and inflame political divisions. Don't fall into this trap.

SSSDave, are those lines in italics YOUR idea or quoted? Either way, very disturbing; absolute age discrimination. You cannot just put an age limit and then subject those above that age to remain homebound. Since blacks are over represented in COVID-19 cases, do you say all blacks should remain under lock-down? A legal quagmire, if you ask me.

doggie shelter in place: https://vimeo.com/407694239 Simba is enjoying the new digs and has trimmed up with the exercise. His favorite dog is Ruby the German Shepard.

Did an Ag burn as well today. Eucalyptus suck. No masks involved; Shelter in place.

rayfound wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:47 am OK, so like a couple things here: Bats are considered the most likely reservoir species for this branch of the CoronaVirus tree (not ONLY Sar-CoV2/Covid19, but other related coronaviruses also). However, it is not considered likely that the virus was transmitted directly from bats, but rather via an intermediate host species.

You may not need an intermediate species if the virus leaked as a result of an accident. The article specifically says that American scientists were concerned about Chinese experiments that "enhanced" the virus. IE, experiments that studied how coronaviruses spreads by actually creating favorable conditions for the virus to spread. The Chinese were doing this under laboratory conditions and for no nefarious purpose, but such experiments are inherently dangerous because you could actually cause a pandemic if you screw it up (by being sloppy). Which seems to be what happened.

Otherwise, it's hard to explain why the Chinese government shut down the two coronavirus labs in question. Wouldn't you want those labs open and operating? They're literally the world's best experts on this particular virus...the whole lab exists to study coronaviruses.

And it's hard to explain why people tied to the lab have "disappeared." Scientists and administrators. Why "disappear" those folks, unless you've got something to hide?

More on China:

China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days:

https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9


Did Xi Jinping Deliberately Sicken the World?

https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/did-xi- ... the-world/


Coronavirus: Chinese whistle-blowers remain missing and 'in the hands' of the government

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new ... n-21868222

TahoeJeff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 7:09 am More on China:

China didn’t warn public of likely pandemic for 6 key days:

https://apnews.com/68a9e1b91de4ffc166acd6012d82c2f9


Did Xi Jinping Deliberately Sicken the World?

https://thediplomat.com/2020/04/did-xi- ... the-world/


Coronavirus: Chinese whistle-blowers remain missing and 'in the hands' of the government

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-new ... n-21868222

Even if all this is true why did our administration ignore warnings from CIA in november? What is the use of CIA if administration refuses to acknowledge information or even worse try to refute the intelligence gathered?

Just another case of the administration trying to deflect blame from its own deficiencies! Focus on others faults not ours! Ignore that we lied all of February, despite our knowledge!

franklin411 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 10:23 am The Chinese government set up two special labs in Wuhan to study bat transmitted coronaviruses. In the 2010s, they asked for American help, which was provided. Our experts reported back that the Chinese were taking short-cuts that were dangerous and could lead to an accidental pandemic.

Fast forward to 2019. The Chinese claim that the virus started at a market where people bought bats. Except...the market doesn't sell bats. And everyone who has looked into the story--doctors, scientists, journalists--has "disappeared."

So yes. This is the China Virus.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... naviruses/

I agree. The evidence is out more and more every day that this is and should be called the China virus. Remember, political correctness is the most dangerous disease of all!

Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 9:21 pm Seems like driving to a trailhead, hiking solo, off-trail, meeting nobody, is a good way to avoid the virus. On the drive, stay in your car, bring food, pee in the woods! I am still set on doing a lot of backpacks this summer. Gas is supposed to be quite cheap. But a lot can happen between now and summer. Hard to believe that I fall in the "elderly" category! Staying isolated is not a huge problem for me, being retired. I almost wish I could catch the mild form of the virus and then be immune and not have to worry about it.

My wife and I believe we both caught the virus in January without knowing what it was. All the symptoms we had match. I am just starting to read this thread so if I am behind in the discussion, everyone, please overlook my lateness to the discussion.

TahoeJeff wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 5:19 pm Maybe it's not about health and economics. Maybe it's about power and control.
The 'leaders' know whats best for you, so shut up and do what you're told.
I'm old enough to remember when America was "the land of the free and the home of the brave".
Sure doesn't seem like that anymore...

My sentiments exactly. The people are going to be even more controllable going forward.

Guys and Gals: proceed as you see fit, but as for me, I have been doing a fair amount of hiking, by myself, with the dog, lower elevation stuff, because snow melt has yet to peak.
and i will continue to hike, in different areas. the worst thing is going to be inconvenience this season. some trail heads will be harder to get to because of road closures. but there are plenty of places to go, and ways to get there, if you are creative. I am not worried about permits. the permit system was originally sold to us as a voluntary free system, some of you are older, and remember. As for me, I will make the best of it, and I am not hurting anyone driving alone in my car, and hiking alone on lonely, seldom used trails. Be darned if I am staying home watching hiking videos!