n95 dust masks

[Eleanor]

seen elsewheres

I know this is probably meant to be funny but please don't perpetuate the false belief that this pandemic is the result of someone eating a bat.

 

[Dirtmechanic]

I know this is probably meant to be funny but please don't perpetuate the false belief that this pandemic is the result of someone eating a bat.

how do you know they did not eat a bat? lol technically, genomic sequenceing that is being done in the background of all this mayhem is informing that answer. I believe I am adding to the confusion by saying it went through another creature but the dna does not lie and should one wish, some of the current thoughts and findings are out there. Ya might as well read it if you are quarantining. I find it interesting that the beast is mutating roughly 2x per month, that there are 8 recognizable genetic sequences and that therefore it is as conceivable that the beasty will evolve to disappear as it is that it will evolve to be an even bigger pita.

 

[flowerbug]

I know this is probably meant to be funny but please don't perpetuate the false belief that this pandemic is the result of someone eating a bat.

as someone who is both a scientist and very pro-environmental i have yet to see anyone with scientfic credibitily say this virus did not come from bats and the wet market. if they weren't going to eat it what the heck were they doing with it?

the sooner we convince people that bush meat markets and wet markets are disease vectors for all sorts of microbes the better it will be. in my vague reconning i think HIV (and another related monkey virus), Ebola, and several others have come via this sort of route.

of course there is also a lot of possible work that can be done in trying to identify such diseases and getting wild life vaccinated before they can infect us or at least to begin to understand more of the risks.

 

[Eleanor]

as someone who is both a scientist and very pro-environmental i have yet to see anyone with scientfic credibitily say this virus did not come from bats and the wet market. if they weren't going to eat it what the heck were they doing with it?

the sooner we convince people that bush meat markets and wet markets are disease vectors for all sorts of microbes the better it will be. in my vague reconning i think HIV (and another related monkey virus), Ebola, and several others have come via this sort of route.

of course there is also a lot of possible work that can be done in trying to identify such diseases and getting wild life vaccinated before they can infect us or at least to begin to understand more of the risks.

As a pro-environmental biologist that lived and traveled extensively in China for nearly a decade, experiencing wet markets all over the country, including probably Wuhan's, I have never seen bats offered for sale. It is urban legend and I assert a dangerous xenophobic one at that. There is rumblings that the virus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. So I ask again, please stop perpetuating the ill-informed notion that someone in China ate a bat and caused this pandemic. There is no positive benefit from sharing such a meme and it could very well spark a hate crime such as this one on a family including their 2 year old daughter: Stabbing attack on Asian Family ruled a coronavirus-related hate crime: FBI.

Please. Just. Stop.

 

[baymule]

It is dark humor. In dark times, humor helps. I practice irreverent humor myself, I can make fun of almost anything. I do try to respect other's feelings. That said, China unleashed this virus on the entire world. people have died, people are sick or have been sick or will be sick. Economies around the world are crashing, people are unemployed and cannot pay their bills. I have nothing against the Chinese people and would never do anything to hurt any people of any race. But frankly, I don't give a durn about China at this moment. Making fun of the whole situation is not a hate crime and it helps us laugh our way through this mess.

 

[Zeedman]

There is rumblings that the virus "escaped" from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

A very informative link, @Eleanor - thank you. The location of the Institute so close to the apparent origin of the outbreak does look suspicious... especially given their research.

 

[flowerbug]

...
Please. Just. Stop.

i'm not condoning hate crimes against anyone.

wet markets and bush meat markets are disease vectors.

the video i saw of a bush meat market in Africa did show bats for sale. i am not an expert in China's wet markets, but every description i can find states that they can sell all sorts of animals including bats. unless you can get every source that is mistakenly citing such practices taken off-line i don't think you're going to stop the news and others from saying it.

so far i see no contrary evidence that this did not come from that particular wet market and bats. you did not cite anything credible. while i do value your experience you really didn't improve your case by dragging in the hate crime side issue - which has nothing to do with the source of the outbreak.

i will stop replying now.

 

[baymule]

Texas is stopping cars at the Louisiana line and turning back all but essential people.

TV news is telling everybody to wear a mask. The next story is hospitals don’t have enough masks.

 

[majorcatfish]

okay i'm good with wearing a mask question is where to find them??????

 

[majorcatfish]

anyone here making masks at home?