Mods, I'm going to pop off now. Feel free to edit, etc.
Yes, you can, and I absolutely do blame China over their stupid, stupid, stupid fucking "medicine." Keep in mind, I generally like the Chinese, as they are my best customers (exportation of LNG). But this is absolutely their fault.
So, for those unfamiliar already, please go read up on Chinese remedies:
skepdic.com
This is nothing to scoff at or joke about. Evidence based medicine (EBM), such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture, acupressure, homeopathy, supplements, etc. directly cause issues within the health field, and represent a MASSIVE drain on economic resources. The recent mass suicide in Iran via drinking methanol is a fine example of EBM in action. Covid 19 is a direct result of TCM. So, yes, I can and do blame large swaths of the human race for causing this.
An analysis of public genome sequence data from SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses found no evidence that the virus was made in a laboratory or otherwise engineered.
www.sciencedaily.com
As of now, we do know that the virus originated in bat populations that are harvested as a delecacy, and as a TCM remedy. We also know that similar strains of coronavirus originate in pangolins. Pangolins are nearly extinct, but they are often harvested for the use of their scales in TCM. Live pangolins were routinely found and confiscated from markets in Wuhan. Their use? Oh, it's a real f*cking gem:
"Fresh scales are never used, but dried scales are roasted, ashed, cooked in oil, butter, vinegar,
boy's urine, or roasted with earth or oyster-shells, to cure a variety of ills. Amongst these are excessive nervousness and hysterical crying in children,
women possessed by devils and ogres, malarial fever and deafness."
Source:
https://www.nature.com/articles/141072b0
We also suspect that pangolins were the conduit that allowed the virus to be transmitted to humans. If someone in Wuhan (and there are documented cases of this) had live bats within transmittable range of live pangolins (both were present at the start of the outbreak), then it is the most likely cause of the jump to humans. Natural mutations in the virus eventually allowed it to target ACE2 receptors in human cellular structure, and a pandemic started.
I also blame the Chinese government for this. They allow their national health insurance to cover TCM remedies, as well as other evidence based medicine practices. This is due to the original purpose of TCM, which was to allow cheap, fake medical treatments to be provided to the proletariat.
So, the Chinese government continues to pay for bullshit, and people continue to utilize bullshit, because it's still a hell of a lot cheaper than providing care to over one billion people.
Evidence based medicine is not harmless. It is not palliative. It is not useful. It is not safe. If this isn't a f*cking wake up call that the use of this shit needs to end, then we deserve to be wiped out. Our own extinction would just be evolution in action.
Oh, and another side effect of TCM?
Scientists say demand for traditional Chinese medicine containing animal parts could push tigers, bears, rhinos and pangolins to the brink of extinction
southeastasiaglobe.com
It's the largest single driver behind the extinction of plants and animals.
Yep. Real f*cking "harmless"