Episode Details

NIH cancels Wuhan funding

Uploaded 11-06-22

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/research-news/9563/

SAGO, came together last year after widespread criticism of a joint WHO-China investigation

Lab-leak theory as ‘extremely unlikely’

China via frozen fish

WHO covid origins report

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/09/who-sago-covid-origins/?utm_campaign=wp_to_your_health&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_tyh&wpmk=1&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNWZjM2FmNGNhZTdlOGE0OGZkZGQ0OWEyIiwidGFnIjoiNjJhM2EyNzg5NTYxMjE3NTVhYWY5N2Y2IiwidXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3dvcmxkLzIwMjIvMDYvMDkvd2hvLXNhZ28tY292aWQtb3JpZ2lucy8_dXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXdwX3RvX3lvdXJfaGVhbHRoJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJndwaXNyYz1ubF90eWgmd3Btaz0xIn0.w66_MlVhC871nwsuz46ierPOCarculZxc5AOIXLU5Z8

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/scientific-advisory-group-on-the-origins-of-novel-pathogens/sago-report-09062022.pdf?sfvrsn=42b55bbc_1&download=true

Members of the group from Brazil, China and Russia

objected to the calls for further investigation into the “lab leak” theory

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

sent two letters,….. and further information into the laboratory hypotheses

SAGO was not provided any information related to studies conducted evaluating the laboratory hypotheses as a possible introduction into the human population.

The possibility of a breach in biosafety or biosecurity measures

possibility of novel pathogens escaping into the human population due to a breach … in a laboratory

this has unfortunately happened with other pathogens

are still lacking in most low- and middle- income countries.

Need for identification

gain of function

dual use research of concern

At the present time

available epidemiological and sequencing data,

suggest ancestral strains to SARS-CoV-2 have a zoonotic origin,

closest genetically related viruses, beta coronaviruses, identified in Rhinolophus bats

China in 2013, (96.1%)

Laos in 2020 (96.8%)

“At this point, the strongest evidence is still around zoonotic transmission,”

Marietjie Venter, chair of the WHO team, virologist University of Pretoria

However, the precursor viruses that have been identified in bats are definitely not close enough to be the virus that spilled over into humans

Humans and chimps, 98.9%

https://sciencing.com/animals-share-human-dna-sequences-8628167.html

Bonobos 98.7%

Human to human 99.9%

human DNA in a banana, about 60%

However

so far neither the virus progenitors,

nor the natural/intermediate hosts,

or spill-over event to humans,

have been identified

Huanan seafood market in Wuhan played