It isn't about punishing China. That would only be in the unlikely event it was leaked intentionally.
To me, the origin of the pandemic matters for other reasons:
- If it was an accidental leak, then businesses and governments can plan for future risk in any research projects if they know biosecurity in China is lacking. China can address the lack of regulation etc.
- If it was natural, then we can study the source and possibly get ahead of future outbreaks.
Finding the cause of COVID-19 is important in the same way that finding the cause of any disease or catastrophic event that's largely out of our control is important. The same reason it was important for scientists to understand the cause of the Boxing Day tsunami for example
As I said though, it's not necessary to know the details of COVID's initial source to advocate for either of these things. There are practical steps to combat both zoonotic and lab leak sources of viruses that can be undertaken by simply presuming that either could occur without needing to know if COVID was either.
I didn't argue that knowledge of COVID's origins were useless, I said the very opposite. I argued against the theory that this knowledge, especially in the broader public discourse rather than in academic settings, is somehow a necessity or that having either as a definitive answer should change anything.
Reframed, consider the question this way: What would
you change about your own actions
or your governments response to COVID if it was zoonotic instead of a lab leak? And vice versa?
I brought up punishing China because it's the only reason I see anyone outside of people who study viruses care about a lab leak, they want to use it to punish China (something they already support) by being able to blame them for the deaths.
They are willing and able to control an outbreak
I am not sure one can make this claim. China's continued known actions despite their extreme lengths suggest otherwise.
