So it is literally impossible this virus was just found in the wild, mainly because it not only has such a high affinity to the ACE2 receptor (something not natural to bat coronaviruses) but ALSO can attack T cells directly, which is only seen in 3 viruses: this one, a novel coronavirus that a Chinese virologist used for engineering, and the fucking HIV virus. In fact, that virologist is known to have tried introducing ACE2 affinity to the virus she found using... the original SARS virus. So there is no reason to do that for a vaccine or research since it makes it so much more dangerous, because it can more easily infect humans and escape. And that is why the program helping the Chinese study these viruses using gain of function engineering was shut down by the US.
So we know it was almost certainly made to be a weapon and certainly came from that lab. The why is harder to prove, but their actions speak for themselves. It is clear they used it as a weapon and took steps to ensure it would infect countries outside of China. So we are war for that alone. But why release it starting in China? Could simply be done to cover up releases in other countries. Or it could be for internal reasons. The Wuhan labs are at least in part controlled by the hardliner faction of the CCP, which is opposed to Xi's slightly less hardline faction. The time it was released was while Xi was very vulnerable but also when he was right about to consolidate his hold on the military. This has ruined his credibility, naturally. So there is now a chance that the hardliner faction can take back power. They can also more easily sell war to the people since they already have a ruined economy and since they have blamed the virus on the US and other foreigners. And with the rest of the world in disarray, the time is perfect for them to, say, try to take Taiwan.
So it is literally impossible this virus was just found in the wild, mainly because it not only has such a high affinity to the ACE2 receptor (something not natural to bat coronaviruses) but ALSO can attack T cells directly, which is only seen in 3 viruses: this one, a novel coronavirus that a Chinese virologist used for engineering, and the fucking HIV virus. In fact, that virologist is known to have tried introducing ACE2 affinity to the virus she found using... the original SARS virus. So there is no reason to do that for a vaccine or research since it makes it so much more dangerous, because it can more easily infect humans and escape. And that is why the program helping the Chinese study these viruses using gain of function engineering was shut down by the US.
So we know it was almost certainly made to be a weapon and certainly came from that lab. The why is harder to prove, but their actions speak for themselves. It is clear they used it as a weapon and took steps to ensure it would infect countries outside of China. So we are war for that alone. But why release it starting in China? Could simply be done to cover up releases in other countries. Or it could be for internal reasons. The Wuhan labs are at least in part controlled by the hardliner faction of the CCP, which is opposed to Xi's slightly less hardline faction. The time it was released was while Xi was very vulnerable but also when he was right about to consolidate his hold on the military. This has ruined his credibility, naturally. So there is now a chance that the hardliner faction can take back power. They can also more easily sell war to the people since they already have a ruined economy and since they have blamed the virus on the US and other foreigners. And with the rest of the world in disarray, the time is perfect for them to, say, try to take Taiwan.