Why do so many viruses originate in China?

[ohhkay]

Please explain why SARS, Coronavirus and Swine flu have all started in a similar area.

Is it because the country is very large? Is it due to the large population?

Or is it selection bias?

Many other countries are densely populated with poor living conditions. And wet markets are not solely confined to China.

I'm genuinely curious, not racist.

score 20/10 OP

Is Goady Fucker hunting a reportable mumsnet infraction like troll hunting?

The underlying point is that Chine is merely still doing what we "West" did
but the "west" changed its rules
China has not done so yet

That says nothing about the Chinese
or westerners
just about the timings of infection control

TBH be thankful that this has arisen in an authoritarian area like China
rather than a lawless one like the horn of Africa

the key thing us that

we are one species
on one planet
and only by looking out for each other
will we all survive

It will spread just as easily here.
I was in Tesco earlier and some filthy bloke sneezed violently all over the fruit and veg.
No attempt to cover his mouth.
Money is surely a massive infection control risk as well.
We cant blame "the Chinese", viruses will always exploit whatever chance they can, it wasnt so long ago that we ourselves were being criticised for the BSE scandal.

And I am aware that BSE is a prion not a virus. Same principles apply.

"the Chinese"

same area of the planet as Europe

ooh, lets not talk to them as they are Portugese

The underlying point is that Chine is merely still doing what we "West" did
but the "west" changed its rules
China has not done so yet

Like barbecuing live dogs?

@ohhkay no idea why you got the head bitten off you by so many on this thread. I didn't see the BBC article either. I"m not in the UK either.
It's so weird. If this was in Australia we'd be allowed to ask. But because it's china, suddenly it's anti-woke to even wonder how this started The worst of mn.

@WellHolyGodMiley

I don't think OP has had her head bitten off, I think people are just trying to answer her question plus address some misconceptions and stereotypes that have been posted on here as well.

Regarding dog eating - something other Asian countries do too. It isn't actually very common in China but that doesn't fit into the general 'we are better than them narrative despite centuries of fox hunting, dog & cockfighting and badger baiting etc etc and meat eating". From what I have read, it is concentrated in a few regions and is dying out as young people generally do not want to eat dogs. Unfortunately, as China is huge this still means a lot of animals die as even a percentage of people is equal to millions of people. I support a charity called HSI who works with Chinese Animal rights groups (yes they have them) to rescue dogs from here and in South Korea. They do amazing work. So if you care, please support them. Also Fox Hunting is happening illegally all over our countryside again and there is talk that Boris plans to legalise it (not sure how true this is) so please also think about supporting League Against Cruel Sports.

Completely off topic really I think this virus will be old news by Valentines day (I hope I'm right).

Biological warfare?
I heard that corona virus family is manmade. I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is true, you can understand why authorities would lie about it.

I've never been to China
I've never seen any evidence that the people of China are any more or less humane than the rest of the world.
China has had recent political upheavals that distorted their food market
but essentially they are like the rest of us

• lazy and willing to eat too much

in time the 'wet' markets will die out
and life will move on

*China has had recent political upheavals that distorted their food market
but essentially they are like the rest of us

• lazy and willing to eat too much*

Except we don't cook live dogs.

No, when we torture live animals it's for sport.

Do we burn live dogs? Is it the same?

@ChardonnaysDistantCousin yep we just hunt foxes for sport

yes, but we don't barbecue live dogs to eat. we don't blowtorch them and we don't make soup out of live dogs.

And fox hunting is illegal.

Illegal doesn't stop people doing it, or we'd have no murderers or drug dealers.
If China had the best animal welfare laws in the world introduced tomorrow, some people would still use the black market to get what they want.

At least we have laws against it.

Does China have laws against the torture of animals? Don't they require anima testing on cosmetics?

I think neither dog or fox are pleased. Both are equally awful and both need to be eradicated.

Unfortunately illegal fox hunting is taking place all the time, police ignore it.

Yes, and we have laws against that.

China doesn't.

So are you all ok with live dog cooking?

Obviously nobody is "OK" with it.
But since I'm not the Chinese government there's fuck all I can do about it really.

Then why are you comparing it to something that the UK parliament has done something about?

Please consider this:

I support a charity called HSI who works with Chinese Animal rights groups (yes they have them) to rescue dogs from here and in South Korea. They do amazing work.