An ominous sign has appeared from Denmark. Seems the plucky #Covid19 virus has miraculously jumped species yet again. This evolutionary trick is no small feat. For usually this sort of thing requires a lot of time. Yet our deadly little pest has baffled the scientific world.

As we celebrate/mourn the US elections, the Danish are busy culling their population of mink who are the newest victims of #Covid19. Seems the virus has jumped from human to mink and back to human.

Why should we worry?

Because it lends credence to that crazy conspiracy theory about a man-made virus that accidentally escaped from a lab. Indeed there was an international project to study viruses in Wuhan (which was funded by among other countries - the USA). A few years ago they were admonished for sloppy practices...

Coincidentally #Covid19 has a footprint which suggests a "furin cleavage site" right where we'd expect to see it if someone wanted to alter a virus to make it more easily jump species in order to study its transmission.

Why should we worry?

Because if the virus was deliberately engineered to do so, we could see a lot more species jumping over the months, years, and decades.

Why should we worry?

Because there is no guarantee of what direction these mutations will take.

Why should we worry?

Because we can kill minks and isolate humans but what happens if it jumps to pets, household mice or other animals? Will we isolate Fido and Tiddles? Will we cull Bambi? How about locking down lions in the Serengeti?

Why should we worry?

Because many in the West still believe and won't stop believing, no matter the evidence, that this novel coronavirus is "just like the flu".

How cynical do I feel about my own species right now?

Words cannot describe my horror...