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Old 24th February 2021, 05:40 PM   #86
angrysoba
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Location: Osaka, Japan
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Originally Posted by Sherkeu View Post
Of course it could be. The original SARS obviously traveled --and given the distance to the source was not a likely place for it start its' spread.

There are currently 113 cities in China with over 1 million people in the urban areas. It could have emerged anywhere, even outside of China, though it would be more likely in a closer city or one with some close 'supply' chain relation to the area. The difference with Wuhan is that we KNOW these SARS-related viruses went there, purposely, multiple times over many years, from persons having direct contact with the people, animals, and caves at the source. And so a theory that those travels contributed to the emergence there becomes more likely- however it happened. I am perplexed that it sounds so conspiratorial.

Going by just the 'main hub' train stations (of the 5500 they have), Yunnan to Guangdong is one main hub away. Wuhan looks like three hubs away.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c1078dc4_z.jpg
But I think this misses another point. It seems only fairly recently have the researchers led by Shi Zhengli discovered that the original SARS came from Yunnan Province, and yet it turned up in Guanzhou City, so it clearly travelled far from its origin. This is the most important point. Where it emerges is not necessarily where it originates!

However, as I posted previously, the types of coronaviruses that share almost all of the genetic make-up of SARS Cov2 are found over wide areas of China, South-East Asia and even in Japan (probably elsewhere as well). We have no reason for thinking that the one that orginated in Yunnan is the one that has emerged as SARS Cov2. There could likely be several areas from which it broke out.

[Sorry, I meant to say that Guangzhou is the city in Guandong Province, and Wuhan is the city in Hubei Province.]
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