Blog Post #4: Origin of COVID-19?

I watched a video uploaded to YouTube by ABC News. The segment looks into wet markets in China, where many believe to be the origin of the COVID-19 virus. It is believed that the exposure of meat in conjunction with poor regulations, led to people in Wuhan coming into contact with the virus. These markets are similar to farmers markets that can be found almost anywhere in the United States. The concept is familiar, with merchants displaying produce, non perishable items, and even meat out in the open as buyers are able to walk through and select the items they need. 

I was interested in this piece because I have seen many open public markets like this in many places. Here in my home town of Morristown, there are farmers markets that take place every weekend in the town center. It is primarily focused on fruits, produce, and local goods. There are no butcher-style hanging meat hooks, which decreases the risk for spread of disease. These local markets are favored for their beneficial impact on local economy, and are hardly ever considered areas of high risk for spreading disease. 

One thing that made me curious, was how exactly news outlets have narrowed down that this disease originated from these markets. How is it that “some guy eating a bat” has become the favored reasoning for the origin of COVID-19? The public has yet to see what exactly the process was that deduced this was the origin. These markets have been favored and in use for decades, so why is it that they now are the cause of a deadly disease? Call me a conspiracist, but life is full of surprises.

Part of me believes there is a fine line between getting to the bottom of the disease, and spreading anti Chinese propaganda. Obviously, China is going to be heavily scrutinized and suffer tremendously when it comes to international relations. Their silence and misleading on the exact death tolls and severity of the disease will be remembered for a long time, and they will have to face consequences. However, people must not allow this to breed ideas of hate and bigotry. We will be no more than a large hate group at that point. Rather, we must look critically at what happened, and avoid making culturally or racially charged judgements about another nation of people.

I would say this piece was unsatisfying. I felt like I had more questions after viewing it. It made me concerned that ignorant people may consume media like this and embolden a hateful mindset when it comes to China and other Asian countries as a result. These sentiments do nothing but separate humanity, at a time when we need to come together.