Why does really important news get buried? Are we really far more censored than we know? Let me tell you a little story.
3 days ago, on 23rd July, 2020, a radical piece of news with global relevance was reported in that riveting, incredibly popular, global publication, thepigsite.com. So that millions would never see it.
Reuters reports that the guidelines were issued by China’s National Health Commission after a series of COVID-19 outbreaks were linked to meat processing plants throughout the EU and Americas. China has banned imports from various regions in a bid to curb the spread of the virus. Imported meats products must have certificates for passing nucleic acid tests for the coronavirus, on top of other documents, certificates and records of inspections, before being processed in the Chinese plants, the NHC said in a statement. Source
No, I don't read news sources about slaughterhouses generally, and yes, I missed the reuters version of the story, which was interestingly published not as global breaking news but in the online equivalent of page 5 under health news. You know, NOT front page stuff.
The bit where Chinese meatworks now effectively have to run a track'n'trace back to origin for every piece of meat processed and transported? Clearly of no relevance to anyone.
I came across this information because my friend Jaffe, a sinophile and seasoned Asian journalist living here in Chiang Mai, Thailand, did what he often does: asked an open ended question on his private facebook page about whether people thought the meat in our local supermarket was safe in light of China's news. The post was removed within hours. Not sure by whom.
It hit me full force because several months ago, after talking endlessly in circles with someone about why some countries have far fewer Covid cases than others, I suggested that maybe the transmission was in a way no one had really considered. Like meat. After all, I AM a veteran of the BSE Mad Cow Disease time, I HAVE personally had swine flu and yup, it came from pigs. I caught it in Australia, and not Asia.
Think about it. Meat processing plants and wet markets have been at the center of seemingly endless Covid-19 clusters. Yes, yes... the cool temperatures, wet environment, crowded conditions and people shouting in a noisy environment over the chainsaws hacking animal corpses to bits. Got that. So if corona virus lives up to a month under refrigeration and even longer when frozen, why would the meat from those plants not carry the virus into your home?
It's not exactly news. This article from April 2020 examines the idea of getting corona virus via your groceries.
Does coronavirus survive even longer in your fridge or freezer?
And yep - all very plausible and possible. Science supports the meat carrying the virus theory pretty well. But we don't need to worry!! Cos every household strictly follows the hygiene rules of never using the same knife or chopping board for raw meat for anything else and STRICTLY sanitizes/boils those utensils immediately after use. Right??
Wrong. My private survey over some months (and about 43 people so far) suggests almost no one follows those hygiene rules in their own kitchens.
Based on that information alone, we decided to become vegetarian in our household since April. Not quite vegan, but almost.
To be fair, we'd been on the plant based path for a very long time already, and just needed a nudge.
What makes China's recent change to meat importation rules so very concerning? They're asking for Covid nucleic acid lab samples for meat and poultry from epidemic areas before processing as a condition for import.
Why On Earth Would They Do That?
Could farmed animals and commercial meat supply be an additional source of Covid-19 transmission? My guestimate is a resounding yes. China is pragmatic to a level that makes the Dutch envious and has a level of commercial science that surpasses most countries on many levels. They require import licences even for bath soap and yes, they lab test. They have seemingly endless people resources and vastly different cost structures.
The World Health Organization's position? They're still looking into it.
Through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN),national food safety authorities are seeking more information on the potential for persistence of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, on foods traded internationally as well as the potential role of food in the transmission of the virus. Currently, there are investigations conducted to evaluate the
viability and survival time of SARS-CoV-2. As a general rule, the consumption of raw or undercooked animal products should be avoided. Raw meat, raw milk or raw animal organs should be handled with care to avoid crosscontamination with uncooked foods. Source
Thailand and many South East Asian cultures have extremely low rates of Covid-19 compared to many industrialized countries. My theory is that most people buy their meat ready cooked at a market or street stall and don't come into contact with the raw meat itself. Unlike Australia, US, Europe and the UK - where people buy commercially raised meat, and store it n their fridge or freezer, before handling it in their own domestic kitchens, and nearly always NOT in the sanitary way that would stop viral transmission to other surfaces etc in the home.
- What if family clusters were not about lack of face masks, but about sharing a kitchen?
- What if geographical clusters were about one supermarket getting one or more contaminated carcasses, and selling that locally?
I think we're going to discover - hopefully soon - that it's NOT ONLY droplets and aerosolization of viral particles. China has been several steps ahead of the rest of the world on Covid-19 since the Get-Go, and they're instigating much stricter controls on the importation and processing of meat, as of this last week.
The only real questions left?
- Why is this not mainstream news ?
- What does China know that other countries don't want to?
- What would that mean for global food production & supply?
- Would you give up eating meat if this was true?
Spiritual sidebar: could this be a karmic tipping point?
Pondering.
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