Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19

Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19
Author	Alina Chan and Matt Ridley
Published	November 16, 2021
Publisher	HarperCollins
ISBN	978-0-00-848749-2

Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19 is a 2021 book by Canadian molecular biologist Alina Chan and British science writer Matt Ridley. The authors describe ongoing investigations into the origin of COVID-19. The Wall Street Journal's Adam O'Neal said the book has compiled "perhaps the most comprehensive case for the lab-leak theory currently available".^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

The book has received mixed reviews.^[5]^[6] Columnist Michael Hiltzik in the Los Angeles Times wrote it was promoting a theory that threatens to lead policymakers and the public down the wrong road "to humankind's enduring detriment".^[7] A review in The Times of London described it as concluding that the lab-leak hypothesis is "highly possible" rather than "definitely true".^[8] Writing in The Guardian medical journalist Mark Honigsbaum considered its main argument unconvincing, and criticized the book for digressing from the need to address causes of natural spillover sources, such as global heating and habitat destruction.^[9]

References[]

^ O'Neal, Adam (26 November 2021). "What Happened in Wuhan?". Wall Street Journal. In ‘Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19,’ molecular biologist Alina Chan and author Matt Ridley assemble perhaps the most comprehensive case for the lab-leak theory currently available.
^ Pearson, Allison; Halligan, Liam; Ridley, Matt; Bougeard, Isabelle (25 November 2021). "Planet Normal: Dismissing Wuhan lab leak theory was a 'shocking episode in the history of science'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
^ Staff, Jonathan Saltzman Globe; November 14, Updated. "Broad Institute researcher wants to fade into obscurity, but first she hopes her COVID book is a bestseller - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
^ Beyerstein, Lindsay (10 December 2021). "This Terrible Book Shows Why the Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Won't Die". The New Republic. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
^ Pells, Rachel (22 November 2021). "Covid lab-leak researcher is glad she challenged China's Wuhan 'cover up' despite death threats". iNews. Retrieved 10 December 2021. Chan’s critics have multiplied – as have her supporters – with the publication of Viral ... The book has invoked mixed reactions.
^ Poole, Steven (9 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review: pushes the lab-leak theory behind Covid too hard". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 December 2021. Viral ... pretends to be agnostic between the two while pimping the lab-leak scenario for all it’s worth... This book shows well how coronaviruses spill over naturally between species all the time... One can agree ... with the book’s passionate argument for closer regulation of ... ‘gain-of-function research’.

Ebben, Paula (16 November 2021). "MIT Scientist Discusses the Importance of Finding the Source of the COVID Pandemic". CBS Boston. Retrieved 10 December 2021. The book makes the case for both possibilities: natural transfer of the virus from bats to mammals and then to humans, or from some sort of lab accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that spread to the community.

Weissmueller, Zach (18 November 2021). "Was It a Lab Leak? The Mysterious Origin of COVID-19". Reason. Retrieved 10 December 2021.

Hanage, William (14 November 2021). "Amid a muddled quest for covid's source, a crucial message". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 December 2021. As Chan and Ridley state toward the end of the book, ‘Unfortunately, there are no enforceable international biosafety and biosecurity standards.’ Preach. This is an extremely important message that should not be lost amid the political firestorm over origins.'
^ Hiltzik, Michael (15 November 2021). "These authors wanted to push the COVID-19 lab-leak theory. Instead they exposed its weaknesses". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 December 2021. The Chinese are secretive about all things... The shame of ‘Viral’ is that it promotes a groundless theory that threatens to lead policymakers, as well as members of the public, down the wrong road, to humankind’s enduring detriment.
^ Chivers, Tom (20 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review — Did Covid-19 leak from a Chinese lab?". The Times. Retrieved 10 December 2021. These stories all seem to be real; I've followed up on all the ones I've mentioned and confirmed them... The book, fairly, does not conclude that the lab-leak hypothesis is definitely true, merely that it is highly possible, and I agree.
^ Honigsbaum, Mark (15 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review – Was Covid-19 really made in China?". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2021. There is just one problem: nowhere do they present proof that Sars-CoV-2 was manufactured.

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[1] O'Neal, Adam (26 November 2021). "What Happened in Wuhan?". Wall Street Journal. In ‘Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19,’ molecular biologist Alina Chan and author Matt Ridley assemble perhaps the most comprehensive case for the lab-leak theory currently available.

[2] Pearson, Allison; Halligan, Liam; Ridley, Matt; Bougeard, Isabelle (25 November 2021). "Planet Normal: Dismissing Wuhan lab leak theory was a 'shocking episode in the history of science'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 December 2021.

[3] Staff, Jonathan Saltzman Globe; November 14, Updated. "Broad Institute researcher wants to fade into obscurity, but first she hopes her COVID book is a bestseller - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 23 December 2021.

[4] Beyerstein, Lindsay (10 December 2021). "This Terrible Book Shows Why the Covid-19 Lab Leak Theory Won't Die". The New Republic. Retrieved 23 December 2021.

[5] Pells, Rachel (22 November 2021). "Covid lab-leak researcher is glad she challenged China's Wuhan 'cover up' despite death threats". iNews. Retrieved 10 December 2021. Chan’s critics have multiplied – as have her supporters – with the publication of Viral ... The book has invoked mixed reactions.

[Others-6] Poole, Steven (9 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review: pushes the lab-leak theory behind Covid too hard". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 December 2021. Viral ... pretends to be agnostic between the two while pimping the lab-leak scenario for all it’s worth... This book shows well how coronaviruses spill over naturally between species all the time... One can agree ... with the book’s passionate argument for closer regulation of ... ‘gain-of-function research’.

Ebben, Paula (16 November 2021). "MIT Scientist Discusses the Importance of Finding the Source of the COVID Pandemic". CBS Boston. Retrieved 10 December 2021. The book makes the case for both possibilities: natural transfer of the virus from bats to mammals and then to humans, or from some sort of lab accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology that spread to the community.

Weissmueller, Zach (18 November 2021). "Was It a Lab Leak? The Mysterious Origin of COVID-19". Reason. Retrieved 10 December 2021.

Hanage, William (14 November 2021). "Amid a muddled quest for covid's source, a crucial message". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 December 2021. As Chan and Ridley state toward the end of the book, ‘Unfortunately, there are no enforceable international biosafety and biosecurity standards.’ Preach. This is an extremely important message that should not be lost amid the political firestorm over origins.'

[7] Hiltzik, Michael (15 November 2021). "These authors wanted to push the COVID-19 lab-leak theory. Instead they exposed its weaknesses". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 December 2021. The Chinese are secretive about all things... The shame of ‘Viral’ is that it promotes a groundless theory that threatens to lead policymakers, as well as members of the public, down the wrong road, to humankind’s enduring detriment.

[8] Chivers, Tom (20 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review — Did Covid-19 leak from a Chinese lab?". The Times. Retrieved 10 December 2021. These stories all seem to be real; I've followed up on all the ones I've mentioned and confirmed them... The book, fairly, does not conclude that the lab-leak hypothesis is definitely true, merely that it is highly possible, and I agree.

[Guardian20211115-9] Honigsbaum, Mark (15 November 2021). "Viral by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley review – Was Covid-19 really made in China?". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2021. There is just one problem: nowhere do they present proof that Sars-CoV-2 was manufactured.

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