COVID 19 Origin: Lab Leak or Wuhan Fish Market?

Environmental & Science Education, STEM, History of Science, Nature of Science, Science & Society, Health, Medicine, Data, Biological Evolution

Ed Hessler

Paul Offit is a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at the University of Pennsylvania medical school. He was a person I sometimes turned to for what I always thought was straight-up, evidence based advice during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as on vaccine safety.

Dr. Offit now has a Substack site, Beyond the Noise, launched on March 28. It is about the "noise" generated regarding the origin of the COVID-19 virus. Was it a lab leak or did it originate in the wild to be released in the now famous Wuhan Seafood Wholesale Market? 

 

The lab leak hypothesis is a favorite among many national politicians, e.g., see here. Additionally, the U. S. Department of Energy concluded - that the pandemic "most likely arose from a laboratory leak." The U. S. DoE reached that conclusion with "low confidence."

In  "Lab Leak Confusion" Offut takes a look at the evidence pitched in favor of both hypotheses. He believes, based on the evidence, that it supports the Wuhan wet market hypothesis. It is well documented, too.

I'll not do any summarizing but strongly recommend it  hoping that you find it useful to you as well as how secure you think your decision. I expect the noise to become louder, more persistent and more accusatory.