Viruses change. Can we?

 

Dear Editor,

The Washington Post’s lengthy editorial “We’re still missing the origin story of this pandemic” (Feb 7, 2021) is interesting but non-essential. 

Opinion | China is sitting on the answers to the pandemic’s origins - The Washington Post

What is essential is combatting the flawed personal and government responses to what we do know about this virus and the inevitability of future viruses that can and will be worse.  Especially the human engineered kind. 

More of nature's viruses and virus variants will come to.  We know with enough certainty that this one DID originate in China.  Knowing exactly how it originated will take valuable time and resources that we should now apply to preventing the spread and mutation of this one, and the emergence of another. 

I’m certain that if there was an accidental lab release in China, it’s government will enforce more effective standards to prevent a similar release in the future.  

The front-page story regarding the new B1.1.7 variant deserved that editorial space instead.  

Why the Mutated Coronavirus Variants Are So Worrisome - The Washington Post

These little viral killers change persistently and quickly.  We don’t appear to change at all.   Prevention seems to be an unAmerican word.