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Nearly 200 people under observation after Irkutsk lab worker dies from plague

222 points · 202 comments · ericmay

  1. robmusial · · focus · HN ↗
    I literally just finished Annie Jacobsen's book 'Biological War: A Scenario' last week where the central plot point is an accidental release of modified form of pneumonic plague from a lab in Siberia. Very coincidental timing, especially since it made me wonder how often labs like these have accidents and we never hear about them because it is cleaned up without issue.
    1. petcat · · focus · HN ↗
      > made me wonder how often labs like these have accidents and we never hear about them because it is cleaned up without issue.

      Did anyone ever confirm if the lab in Wuhan China was the originator of COVID? I remember that was a rumor but never heard if there was anything to it.

      1. alexnewman · · focus · HN ↗
        I get downvoted every time I say this but the evidence doesn’t even prove it started in wuhan, or even China. It could of easily been brought here by the military games that happened before that
        1. theoreticalmal · · focus · HN ↗
          Do you have any thoughts as to why the FBI disagrees with your perspective?

          <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bbc.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;world-us-canada-64806903" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bbc.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;world-us-canada-64806903

          1. bix6 · · focus · HN ↗
            I don’t but this guy in your article does

            &gt; A natural origin is still the more likely theory, said Professor David Robertson, head of viral genomics and bioinformatics at University of Glasgow.

            1. ericmay · · focus · HN ↗
              So the suggestion is that it occurred naturally in China and then military games happened near Wuhan which spread the virus? Or did someone from Wuhan with ties&#x2F;service in the Chinese military contract the virus locally and then spread it throughout China via travel to these military games?

              Is that right, or is your point simply that it naturally occurred in China in the vicinity of Wuhan? I ask since the OP mentioned military games.

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