Scan barcode
A review by nunom
Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19 by Matt Ridley
5.0
For anyone that has some interest in the COVID pandemic, this is definitely a book that should not be skipped.
The authors take a chronological approach to the hypotheses regarding the origin of the current pandemic. The initial, default hypothesis is that sars cov 2 originated from a natural spillover from an animal - likely a bat - either directly or via an intermediary. Meanwhile, new information regarding the initial stages of the pandemic emerged that suggested that a lab leak could equally be at play. This hypothesis now, according to the authors, is not simply just as likely as the natur spillover hypothesis, but it actually has more evidence in its favour.
The authors lay their reasoning in a detailed, and yet not overwhelming manner. They do so without recourse to sensationalism, and their research is extensively quoted.
The different hypotheses that involve a lab leak are well explained, including a potential (and most likely) lab accident with bat samples that had been collected in a different part of South Asia.
Although it is as of now impossible to determine for sure what was the origin of the virus, this book is particularly important as it highlights how badly prepared health institutions, the media and, indeed, the scientists are at tackling a possible problem due to a lab accident. With biotechnology taking centre stage in the world and with so few enforced regulations regarding the handling of dangerous pathogens in laboratories, this book is a wake up call for what not to do in the event of a lab accident. From the immediate dismissal of valid hypotheses by the scientific community at large, to the spread of bad science by the WHO (which has the duty of acting as a defender of good scientific practices), this book reminds us of what needs to be done if we are to produce important scientific knowledge without causing more harm than potential good.
The goal of the book is not to shame China or any other country in the event of a lab accident. Instead, it shows how transparency and dispassionately following the scientific method could have provided us with more answers in a timely manner, instead of muddying the waters, hindering scientific investigations and causing international strained relations at a time when cooperation is most needed.
The authors take a chronological approach to the hypotheses regarding the origin of the current pandemic. The initial, default hypothesis is that sars cov 2 originated from a natural spillover from an animal - likely a bat - either directly or via an intermediary. Meanwhile, new information regarding the initial stages of the pandemic emerged that suggested that a lab leak could equally be at play. This hypothesis now, according to the authors, is not simply just as likely as the natur spillover hypothesis, but it actually has more evidence in its favour.
The authors lay their reasoning in a detailed, and yet not overwhelming manner. They do so without recourse to sensationalism, and their research is extensively quoted.
The different hypotheses that involve a lab leak are well explained, including a potential (and most likely) lab accident with bat samples that had been collected in a different part of South Asia.
Although it is as of now impossible to determine for sure what was the origin of the virus, this book is particularly important as it highlights how badly prepared health institutions, the media and, indeed, the scientists are at tackling a possible problem due to a lab accident. With biotechnology taking centre stage in the world and with so few enforced regulations regarding the handling of dangerous pathogens in laboratories, this book is a wake up call for what not to do in the event of a lab accident. From the immediate dismissal of valid hypotheses by the scientific community at large, to the spread of bad science by the WHO (which has the duty of acting as a defender of good scientific practices), this book reminds us of what needs to be done if we are to produce important scientific knowledge without causing more harm than potential good.
The goal of the book is not to shame China or any other country in the event of a lab accident. Instead, it shows how transparency and dispassionately following the scientific method could have provided us with more answers in a timely manner, instead of muddying the waters, hindering scientific investigations and causing international strained relations at a time when cooperation is most needed.