I would believe Steve Bannon before the DailyBeast.
Regardless of WHO is behind the study, the argument is SCIENTIFIC and should stay that way.
Here is the counter argument:
Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, told The Daily Beast of the study that Basically, it’s all circumstantial and some of it is entirely fictional.
The paper leads with a claim that the coronavirus’ genes are “suspiciously similar to that of a bat coronavirus discovered by military laboratories” in China—an assertion Rasmussen says shouldn’t be surprising because “they are related SARS-like coronaviruses.”
The study’s authors made a similar claim about a portion of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein—which viruses use to breach and infect cells—and wrote that it’s similar to the original SARS virus in a “suspicious manner” and suggests genetic manipulation. “SARS-CoV also used ACE2 as a cellular receptor, as do other SARS-like bat coronaviruses,” Rasmussen says. “It is not suspicious and is in fact expected that the receptor binding domains that bind the same protein would be similar.”
Rasmussen also said that the paper misrepresented basic facts about another part of coronavirus spike proteins known as furin cleavage sites. The authors claim that SARS-CoV-2’s cleavage site is “unique” and unseen elsewhere in nature. But according to Rasmussen, “Furin cleavage sites occur naturally in many other beta-CoVs, including MERS-CoV and other SARS-like bat coronaviruses.”
THOSE COUNTER ARGUMENTS ARE SCIENTIFIC AND NEED TO BE REFUTED — SCIENTIFICALLY.
On the one hand, they just seem to think the virologist’s study has been “debunked” automatically.
And they seem to be jumping to the “ad hominem” phase of the counter-argument.
What makes it ‘bogus’?
BANNON? Seriously? the leftists are getting desperate now that the truth about the China Viral Weapon is out there.
I’ll wait to see a few a few facts instead of sensationalism. Came from a bat or a lab in China or America( Alex Jones)? The governments of the world have surely created a medical-communist all encompassing contact tracing society and I see zero hospitals overwhelmed and also see China back to normal communism.
This could be the Chinese narrative to slander Bannon and the Chinese lady as selling BS?
Wait and see and study.
China locked down Wuhan traffic internally in January but pushed to open foreign travel through March. Why?
And whatever you do, DO NOT TAKE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE!! ITS THE DEVIL!!
Am I to believe Chinese have never eaten bats during famines?
WEAR YOUR MASK OR DIE!!
Its both amazing and bizarre how the Left is stepping up to defend the Chinese Government
There were many articles and commentators back in February and March discussing how certain unusual proteins were seemingly added to a coronavirus in “gain of function” studies, which could very likely have been done by a Chinese laboratory. Its a relatively common practice in those studying and manipulating viruses.
In fact, its probably the most likely scenario and was widely discussed before the corrupt and controlled American media organized their propaganda united front.
Genetic fallacy. We are not taking Bannons word that there are anonymous sources.
Look how quickly the left comes to China’s defense when there is any suggestion this virus was produced in a lab there. They don’t even want to entertain that idea. The ChiComs produced the coronavirus in a lab and had it spread around the world. The Democrats were involved with it. That’s why the media squashes any conversation about this. We weren’t born yesterday folks. Now we have to find the connections!
The problem with Daily Beast’s argument is that bats that could have Covid are located hundreds of miles from Wuhan.
I read the paper twice. Not sure it really fits all the pieces together as claimed.
And, of course, the “Rule of Law Society” should not be publishing molecular virology papers.
My verdict: Possible, unproven.
It looks to me that our intel has got China and the Dems dead to rights. The dam is about to bust.
Notice the DailyBeast does not question the merits of the study.