US officials reportedly concerned that safety breaches at a Wuhan lab studying coronavirus in bats

[yaesu]

could cause a pandemic

via Business insider

As questions persist over the exact origin of the novel coronavirus outbreak, newly reported diplomatic cables show that US officials sounded the alarm about possible safety breaches at a Wuhan lab studying coronaviruses in animals.

In the cables, obtained by Washington Post national security columnist Josh Rogin, US officials raised concerns about safety issues at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in 2018, two years before the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The lab, which holds a level four biosafety research certification, the highest possible rating, was conducting research on coronaviruses in bats.

After multiple visits to the lab from a US diplomat in Wuhan and a science diplomat at the US Embassy in Beijing in early 2018, the officials were concerned about safety issues with the lab's research, they sent two "sensitive but unclassified" cables back to Washington, DC sounding the alarm and asking for assistance to help the lab tighten its safety protocols.

"During interactions with scientists at the WIV laboratory, they noted the new lab has a serious shortage of appropriately trained technicians and investigators needed to safely operate this high-containment laboratory," said a cable dated from January 19, 2018, according to the Post.

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-officials-raised-alarms-about-safety-issues-in-wuhan-lab-report-2020-4

Because of the conspiracy theories out there I was hesitant to post this in breaking news but its originally being reported by the Washington post today

[exboyfil]

1. Just how Captain Tripps got started

It really isn't a conspiracy theory if you just ask the question. While I loath Tom Cotton, it was not entirely clear that he was off the mark in his speculation. These morons need a wordsmith (and a whole lot less racist nativism) to address important questions. China has been out of the mainstream of other nations on many issues. That doesn't relieve our executive branch of its obligation to foster relations (which it didn't), listen to our intelligent community (which it didn't), or not blind us by taking away essential personnel (the onsite CDC Trainer and the NSC Pandemic Response team).

[cayugafalls]

2. There are a lot of questions. That is all we will ever have, nothing more.

The jump animal has not been determined yet. Usually, a virus will jump from bats to an intermediary host before jumping to humans. At least that has been the path with past coronaviruses.

From a Vanity Fair article on the 10th:

Less than 300 yards from the seafood market is the Wuhan branch of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers from that facility and the nearby Wuhan Institute of Virology have posted articles about collecting bat coronaviruses from around China, for study to prevent future illness. Did one of those samples leak, or was hazardous waste deposited in a place where it could spread?

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/04/inside-the-the-viral-spread-of-a-coronavirus-origin-theory

It at least raises the slim possibility of something other than natural exposure. Whether or not we will ever know the truth is completely up to China. Speculation and questions are all we have.

I venture we will never no the truth, so we can speculate all we want, that is where it will stay. Might as well move on and work on regaining our lives back to some form of normalcy.

cayugafalls