"We’re Not Ready for the Next Pandemic
We’re learning the wrong lessons from the search for COVID-19’s origins."
https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/wx5ndx/china-coronavirus-origins-who-mission
Superior, insightful article written by a Chinese scientist, Yangyang Cheng, who works in the US. Cheng adds a much needed geopolitical analysis to the ongoing debate regarding the search for the origins of the virus. She raises important issues regarding sovereign authority, genetic resources, and cross border data sharing. A quote from one of Cheng's closing paragraphs:
(To be clear, Cheng doesn't pick sides regarding lab leak vs zoonotic theories)
"The novel coronavirus originated in nature. It has no agenda, no morals or political belief. Its presence among our species is a result of human activity. It is an indictment on all of humanity that when confronted with a common threat, the immediate response from governments has been more artificial divisions to determine who deserves to live and who must die. In the eyes of a state, security is not about preserving life but sustaining power. People are sacrificed to secure the fragile pride of a flag. The future is bartered to fulfill capitalism’s endless demand for profit. Truth gives way to partisan motives."
I share the quote as an enticement to read Cheng's article; it's not worth offering commentary on just that quote if you haven't read the whole article.