Science

Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19

Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19

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  • Create Date：2021-12-08 10:51:03
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Alina Chan
  • ISBN：006313912X
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Summary

A new virus descended on the human species in 2019 wreaking unprecedented havoc。 Finding out where it came from and how it first jumped into people is an urgent priority， but early expectations that this would prove an easy question to answer have been dashed。 Nearly two years into the pandemic， the crucial mystery of the origin of SARS-CoV-2 is not only unresolved but has deepened。

In this uniquely insightful book， a scientist and a writer join forces to try to get to the bottom of how a virus whose closest relations live in bats in subtropical southern China somehow managed to begin spreading among people more than 1，500 kilometres away in the city of Wuhan。 They grapple with the baffling fact that the virus left none of the expected traces that such outbreaks usually create: no infected market animals or wildlife， no chains of early cases in travellers to the city， no smouldering epidemic in a rural area， no rapid adaptation of the virus to its new host--human beings。

To try to solve this pressing mystery， Viral delves deep into the events of 2019 leading up to 2021， the details of what went on in animal markets and virology laboratories， the records and data hidden from sight within archived Chinese theses and websites， and the clues that can be coaxed from the very text of the virus's own genetic code。

The result is a gripping detective story that takes the reader deeper and deeper into a metaphorical cave of mystery。 One by one the authors explore promising tunnels only to show that they are blind alleys， until， miles beneath the surface， they find themselves tantalisingly close to a shaft that leads to the light。

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Reviews

Clarke O'gara ，

Actually explains the arguments for the different theories of covid 19's origin。Actually presents steelman， rather than strawman， cases for both major theories。Takes you through the theory， step by step， using wonderful metaphors， real life examples and hard facts， so that the layman reader （me） can genuinely understand the arguments。Imagine an adult discussion about the pandemic。 That is this book。 Actually explains the arguments for the different theories of covid 19's origin。Actually presents steelman， rather than strawman， cases for both major theories。Takes you through the theory， step by step， using wonderful metaphors， real life examples and hard facts， so that the layman reader （me） can genuinely understand the arguments。Imagine an adult discussion about the pandemic。 That is this book。 。。。more

Bill Weaver ，

If this were a classic monster movie， they could add a chapter at the end where the villagers storm the Wuhan Institute of Virology with torches and pitchforks， but alas， this is the far more terrifying real world， not folklore。 Despite the optimism of the authors that ‘the truth will out’， I’m pessimistic that truth will be found in this ‘post-truth’ world。 I am not an expert in genetics but am a fairly well-versed information specialist， so I have some expertise with communication。 William S。 If this were a classic monster movie， they could add a chapter at the end where the villagers storm the Wuhan Institute of Virology with torches and pitchforks， but alas， this is the far more terrifying real world， not folklore。 Despite the optimism of the authors that ‘the truth will out’， I’m pessimistic that truth will be found in this ‘post-truth’ world。 I am not an expert in genetics but am a fairly well-versed information specialist， so I have some expertise with communication。 William S。 Burroughs proposed the ‘word as virus’， and like viruses， communication system evolution is difficult to predict。 However， from the evidence available here， one can say with certainty that CCP disinformation specialists have been hard at work。 I doubt they will quit anytime soon。 It seems you will always be able to find someone who will argue for the ‘popsicle theory’， even if the authors here adequately debunk this ludicrous idea that frozen meat could travel thousands of miles and only infect someone at the destination （pp。 252-53） Once disinformation becomes a part of the social system it is difficult if not impossible to contain。 My opinion is that eventually this lab-leak vs。 natural origins debate will move from a ‘professional disagreement’ between geneticists to one between historians。 The truly chilling mantra here is advice given to one of the first Chinese doctors who eventually leaked not a virus but the unauthorized information （at the time） that person-to-person transmission was a reality， and one could see this as a mantra in all totalitarian societies - “stay silent and be careful”。 （p。 198） Has the CCP really escaped the premodern， ‘forbidden city’ mentality？ When will the free world learn its lesson about totalitarian governments， or is the money just too good？ These are questions I am left with after reading this incredible book。 。。。more

Patrick Ritchie ，

5 stars as of December 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic is still having a major impact。 If you're interested in a data-driven， balanced look at what we do and don't know about the origins of COVID-19 this is the book for you。 5 stars as of December 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic is still having a major impact。 If you're interested in a data-driven， balanced look at what we do and don't know about the origins of COVID-19 this is the book for you。 。。。more

Rob ，

Vital reading for anyone who lived through the Covid Pandemic。 We all need true information about the Origin of Covid and to date， we’ve been lied to and subjected to disinformation。 A well organized history of viral research， events in China， and efforts to obfuscate and cover up what may have happened in Wuhan。 In summary， it wasn’t what we were told by the media。

Larry ，

Sad story， but good read。

Jason Senensky ，

Very meticulous and well-articulated look at the origins of covid-19。 Though the authors are careful to hedge their language， the book makes a strong case for a lab leak as the most likely origin of the virus。 Fascinating to see an idea condemned as fringe and conspiracy by the media and many high profile scientists transition to mainstream in only one year！

Emmecola ，

The incredibly long list of bibliographic references clearly shows the huge work done by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley， who tried to condense in this book everything we know on the origins of SARS-CoV-2。 Although the authors favour one theory over the other （i。e。 the lab leak hypothesis）， all evidence pointing to both scenarios is carefully laid out， and it's the reader who decides。 Having followed myself most of the stories told in the book， I can imagine how difficult it was to collect them and p The incredibly long list of bibliographic references clearly shows the huge work done by Alina Chan and Matt Ridley， who tried to condense in this book everything we know on the origins of SARS-CoV-2。 Although the authors favour one theory over the other （i。e。 the lab leak hypothesis）， all evidence pointing to both scenarios is carefully laid out， and it's the reader who decides。 Having followed myself most of the stories told in the book， I can imagine how difficult it was to collect them and put them all together in a coherent and engaging text。 The final result was very good！ 。。。more

Matthew ，

In my opinion， this book should be read by everyone affected by the COVID 19 pandemic。And yep， that is pretty much everyone。 This is an outstanding summary of the known situation as it pertains to the potential origins of the pandemic。I thought I had followed the story， but this book brings a welcome clarity （such as it stands as of Nov 2021）， organization， and depth that has sadly been lacking。 For those looking for a definitive answer here， you will be disappointed。 Despite this， I consider th In my opinion， this book should be read by everyone affected by the COVID 19 pandemic。And yep， that is pretty much everyone。 This is an outstanding summary of the known situation as it pertains to the potential origins of the pandemic。I thought I had followed the story， but this book brings a welcome clarity （such as it stands as of Nov 2021）， organization， and depth that has sadly been lacking。 For those looking for a definitive answer here， you will be disappointed。 Despite this， I consider the book a must read。 First， much material glossed over by other media is cogently （and persuasively arranged） presented in a way that is fairly stunning for those interested in what we currently know and how we know it。 Second， it provides a depth of presentation and analysis that helps provide further （useful） context to the pandemic。 The authors are very careful to present the specific data points and sources， but walk the readers towards a more comprehensive understanding of our current knowledge status。 A scientific background is useful， but I do not think it is required （although， I state that as someone with a science background）。 The authors provide complete specifics （names of viruses， sources） in a way that a） might be slightly offputting to those without a science background but that is b） very necessary given the need for specificity and precision in the development of the story。 So if any reader is initially deterred， hang in there。 （I found the writing engaging， readable， and clear - but I think this is a book that should be read by a wide audience of lay persons and scientists alike。 Those without a science book may require slightly more patience， but I submit the authors help translate matters at every stage。Bottom line - READ THIS BOOK！ 。。。more

Ben Rogers ，

This was an amazing book。 I really enjoyed all the research and investigations this book went into the origins of COVID-19。 Very interesting and fascinating book。 Great journalism。4。8/5

Jack Jacobson ，

Read ItAn actual scientific evaluation of possible factors that are responsible for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic。 Required reading for those who wish to go beyond news reports and understand the underlying issues。

Pal ，

Soon two years into the Covid19-pandemic this is quite surely the most important book on the topic to date。 Polarisation， lockdowns and political travesties notwithstanding， without coming to the root of the Origin of Covid we will remain badly equipped for the next big one。This book is not only important to put together the puzzle around the real source of this disease that changed our lives， but it’s also extremely well-written。 While a science book， it almost serves as a detective novel even， Soon two years into the Covid19-pandemic this is quite surely the most important book on the topic to date。 Polarisation， lockdowns and political travesties notwithstanding， without coming to the root of the Origin of Covid we will remain badly equipped for the next big one。This book is not only important to put together the puzzle around the real source of this disease that changed our lives， but it’s also extremely well-written。 While a science book， it almost serves as a detective novel even， there’s plenty in it confirming that often reality is stranger than fiction。I have followed the discourse - or rather the lack of it - since April 2020 when I for the first time started my quest to understand better how this pandemic could happen。 What struck me fast was the dishonesty around it， the hush-hush， the orchestrated accusations against anyone questioning the favoured theory of the natural origin of the virus as tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorists。 How could that be？ （Well， the answer is politics， Trump and a political left that as a consequence of anti-Trump sentiments somehow unbelievably sided with totalitarian China on this matter。）It has been baffling to me that the most logical question around - “what role has the most advanced virology laboratory in the world studying novelCorona viruses， the Wuhan Institute of Virology （WIV）， at the absolute epicentre of this pandemic， in the context of the cause of the event that killed millions， ruined the life of hundreds of millions and that turns our world upside down” - has been sidestepped by the mainstream media， politicians and scientists alike。In this excellent book facts are the guiding principle， just as it should be in’s cornice。 The expectation is not to give the definitive answers， rather laying out the hypothesis why this is so important and why we have failed until now to come to answer。The writing is excellent and easily digestible， likely attributable to the vast experience of Matt Ridley’s and his craftsmanship。 The science is accurate， intriguing， well-presented and well-argued， likely linked to Alina Chan’s brilliant mind。 I have followed Alina since the summer of 2020 and her untiring efforts to bring this discussion forward， despite the enormous countercurrent forces facing her。 Brave and brilliant is my conclusion。There are two or three chapters heavy on science， which may be trickier for the untrained reader， but despite all the virus letters and numbers it’s still easily digestible。 Another aspect of this book is the tribute to Twitter and the force it plays in our society。 It’s often only discussed in the polarising terms， but this book is the living proof for Twitter’s excellent ability to bring curious minds together to achieve big goals。To conclude: please read this book， it’s well worth it。 It won’t stop here though， this matter will continue， new developments will come。 Having read this you can for sure see the big picture better and be prepared for future discussions。 The truth in this matter is super-important， we can’t let politics and bad intentions from superpowers and representatives of dodgy scientific organisations （yes， looking at you EcoHealth Alliance） come in its way。Ultimately， what matters is not who is right （a remote chance for a natural origin or a likely lab leak）。 What matters is that we get this right。 For the sake of science and for humanity。 。。。more

Jun Y ，

A Quietly Explosive BookIn the early months of 2020， as the world dragged itself into a pandemic and subsequent lockdowns， the now famous biologist Alina Chan was doing some serious work。 She discovered that by the time SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in late 2019， “it was already pre-adapted to human transmission to an extent similar to late epidemic SARS-CoV。” Moreover， it was “evolving more slowly than one newly arrived in the human species from another animal normally would”， implying that SA A Quietly Explosive BookIn the early months of 2020， as the world dragged itself into a pandemic and subsequent lockdowns， the now famous biologist Alina Chan was doing some serious work。 She discovered that by the time SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in late 2019， “it was already pre-adapted to human transmission to an extent similar to late epidemic SARS-CoV。” Moreover， it was “evolving more slowly than one newly arrived in the human species from another animal normally would”， implying that SARS-CoV-2 “was already well-adapted to human beings from the moment it was first detected in Wuhan in December 2019。” Top scientists in the field had early coalesced around the idea that SARS-CoV-2 was far more likely zoonotic than anything that leaked from a laboratory。Virologists took note of Alina Chan’s conclusions and moved on。 Non-experts by and large followed suit， but not co-author Matt Ridley。 A lifelong science writer， his instincts were to put out an account of the Covid-19 origin story that was honest and not corrupted by undeclared interests and cronies within various establishments。 The result was “Viral”， a book that blends both authors’ strengths as well as intelligence from open source analysts on the internet who obtained contact tracing information and archival lab research undisclosed by the Chinese government。 In the detective story so pieced together， the lab leak theory is given prime suspect treatment。 At the heart of the lab leak hypothesis is Shi Zhengli who heads a lab at the Wuhan Institute of Virology。 Whether there are other rooms in and around her lab doing confidential research， we may not know。 Chan and Ridley deem Shi an unreliable witness – that much is apparent – otherwise they would not have gone on at length detailing Shi Zhengli and her lab’s suspicious behaviour， including obscuring Sars-related gain of function research they have been doing in the years leading up to 2019 that might shed light on how Covid-19 emerged。 And including the evasions of collaborator and ally Peter Daszak the whole time – before， during or after he was tasked by the WHO to “investigate” the virology labs in Wuhan。 How any number or types of dubious experiments could have given rise to （the genome of） SARS-CoV-2 is much less clear from the book， and that is arguably one of its major flaws。 If there was insufficient evidence， the authors failed to Sherlock Holmes this one with any jaw-dropping deduction。 It has to be said though that having an element of conspiratorial thinking is not necessarily a bad thing， unless of course too many more qualified scientists and virologists say so。 Still too unfortunately， the reliability or unreliability of one person – Shi Zhengli – is what head-scratching virologists and frankly the whole world has to go on at this point。 The authors of the book are clearly not satisfied。 The mounting circumstantial evidence for an accident scenario is too much for them， from the gain of function and cell-passaging experiments potentially being done in the WIV to its lax safety measures to the live bats themselves being kept there。 For the uninitiated， the key public statement put out by Shi Zhengli as part of a Scientific American interview reads: ‘ none of the sequences matched those of the viruses her team had sampled from bat caves。 “That really took a load off my mind，” she says。 “I had not slept a wink for days。” ’Much hinges on the veracity of Shi's testimony。 On the other hand， could WIV scientists have brought the progenitor of SARS-CoV-2 into the lab and tampered with it without even knowing they have， finding out only when it leaked？The lab’s close geographic proximity to the location of the first superspreading event， the Huanan Seafood market， has primed it for rigorous examination by the authors， who also rightly point out that lab accidents are not at all uncommon。 That is a key point that cannot be chipped away by opponents of the lab leak theory， missing other hard evidence at this point。Reaching page 325 of this book， which could have been much longer， we are left with not an exclamation mark （！） as we see on the UK edition cover and urged on to lay blame on anyone but a big ？。 If you are a seeker， read Viral。 。。。more

Anita ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The authors give a thorough and detailed analysis of the competing theories regarding the likely origins of covid-19。 Although many of the facts laid out have already been reported on by various news organizations， the book gathers the facts and theories together in a clear and concise way， and gives interesting background information and a higher level of detail than is available in most news reports。 It also tells the stories of the diverse group of individuals who have been instrumental in fi The authors give a thorough and detailed analysis of the competing theories regarding the likely origins of covid-19。 Although many of the facts laid out have already been reported on by various news organizations， the book gathers the facts and theories together in a clear and concise way， and gives interesting background information and a higher level of detail than is available in most news reports。 It also tells the stories of the diverse group of individuals who have been instrumental in finding out more about the possible origins of the virus。 （spoiler alert: though the authors give a detailed description of the main origin theories， they clearly lean towards an accidental lab leak as the most likely source of the pandemic）。 。。。more

Jocelynn Pearl， PhD ，

Alina Chan and Matt Ridley have written an important and brave account of the events that transpired surrounding the world's search for the origins of COVID。 It is an engaging read that weaves fine details and nuances， everything from sequencing data， to tweets from leaders， to codon usage。 No easy feat。 I think this is one of the most important books published in 2021。 Alina Chan and Matt Ridley have written an important and brave account of the events that transpired surrounding the world's search for the origins of COVID。 It is an engaging read that weaves fine details and nuances， everything from sequencing data， to tweets from leaders， to codon usage。 No easy feat。 I think this is one of the most important books published in 2021。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0