Its only irrelevant if that information wouldn't help avoid a future pandemic.

If it was a lab accident that's extremely important to know as we could easily mitigate (or eliminate) that risk. If it was zoological, there may be changes that could make that less likely. If it was a third cause that no one is even thinking about, that's even more important because it somehow was missed by everyone looking for the most likely cause.

What was the source doesn't matter for fighting COVID but certainly matters for people who work on gain of function research. If the virus leaked from the laboratory then it will be a strong argument against funding this kind of science.

While it may be irrelevant to how we address this current pandemic, whether covid came from a lab leak holds relevance because of the possibility of future lab leaks.

But that possibility (as well as animal origin possibility) is there, regardless of the actual origin of the current pandemic.

That's the same as saying that the possibility of a plane crash is there regardless of the reason of the current plane crash. There could be something worth learning in the details...

> it's actually completely irrelevant. Where covid came from is meaningless now.

Wonder if insurance companies would generally have the same opinion.

If there was an actually provable origin, do you reckon insurance companies _wouldn't_ give them the bill? ;)

I don’t think foreign insurance companies would have any luck making the Chinese state pay for the worldwide cost of Covid, even if there were ironclad proof the pandemic was their fault.

it is relevant because people need to be accountable for this and governments too. if it comes from a lab funded by usa and china they need to be held accountable and show us that they can change security and safety protocols so that it doesnt happen again. I don't understand why it's even up for debate.

There is no meaningful way for any other country to hold any global superpower "accountable" unless they consent to such treatement. Nuclear weapons are a thing.

China has closed the book on this discussion. There's no further steps to take on the matter, even if you had unassailable proof, unless you wish to go to war.

Nobody wants to go to war (like that, anyway - the CIA may well wish to step up the trade war, based on how much anti-China sentiment is being stoked in the US population over the last dozen years).

It's relevant in that there might be a huge conflict of interest at the NIH that has undermined the pandemic response.[1]

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRCowOPL5Vc&t=229s