Origins of Covid-19 may never be known, says US intelligence agencies
3 years, 2 months ago

Origins of Covid-19 may never be known, says US intelligence agencies

India Today  

US intelligence agencies said on Friday they may never be able to identify the origins of COVID-19, as they released a new, more detailed version of their review of whether the coronavirus came from animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab. Former Republican President Donald Trump - who lost his bid for re-election as the deadly pandemic ravaged the U.S. economy - and many of his supporters referred to COVID-19 as the "China virus." The ODNI report said four U.S. spy agencies and a multi-agency body have "low confidence" that COVID-19 originated with an infected animal or a related virus. But one agency said it had "moderate confidence" that the first human COVID-19 infection most likely was the result of a laboratory accident, probably involving experimentation or animal handling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The report said U.S. agencies and the global scientific community lacked "clinical samples or a complete understanding of epidemiological data from the earliest COVID-19 cases" and said it could revisit this inconclusive finding if more evidence surfaces.

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History of this topic

5 things we know and still don’t know about COVID, 5 years after it appeared
6 days, 18 hours ago

5 things we know and still don’t know about COVID, 5 years after it appeared

Associated Press  

Five years ago, a cluster of people in Wuhan, China, fell sick with a virus never before seen in the world. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print We don’t know. Share Share Copy Link copied Email Facebook X Reddit LinkedIn Pinterest Flipboard Print Scientists and vaccine-makers broke speed records developing COVID-19 vaccines that …

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data
1 week, 2 days ago

‘Moral imperative’: WHO presses China to share COVID origins data

Al Jazeera  

Beijing insists it has shared information on the coronavirus ‘without holding anything back’. “Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.” The WHO recounted how on December 31, 2019, its country office in China picked up a media statement from health authorities in the central city of Wuhan concerning …

Covid very likely came from a Chinese lab leak and there was 'obviously' a cover-up by Beijing, British expert says
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Covid very likely came from a Chinese lab leak and there was 'obviously' a cover-up by Beijing, British expert says

Daily Mail  

Covid most likely came from a lab leak in China and its origins were 'obviously' the subject of a cover-up by Beijing, a top British epidemiologist has said. Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan, central China, with differing theories among scientists over whether it could have come from the Wuhan Institute of Virology or a wet market in the region. Covid-19 emerged …

Wuhan Market: More Likely Origin of COVID-19 Virus Than Previously Thought
2 months, 1 week ago

Wuhan Market: More Likely Origin of COVID-19 Virus Than Previously Thought

The Hindu  

A new study suggests that the Wuhan market in China was the origin of the COVID-19 virus. The data, which was shared publicly by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, included genetic material from more than 800 samples collected at the Huanan market shortly after its closure in early 2020. The researchers found that the virus and the …

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall
3 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It is beyond “reasonable doubt” that the Covid-19 pandemic originated in …

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous

Associated Press  

BEIJING — The hunt for the origins of COVID-19 has gone dark in China, the victim of political infighting after a series of stalled and thwarted attempts to find the source of the virus that killed millions and paralyzed the world for months. In a faxed statement, China’s Foreign Ministry defended China’s handling of research into the origins, saying the …

COVID-19: Why we're looking for the pandemic's origin
9 months, 3 weeks ago

COVID-19: Why we're looking for the pandemic's origin

Hindustan Times  

Discovering COVID's origin will shape the next pandemic. Some experts say it's possible that the Wuhan lab had progenitor strains — ancestors — of SARS-CoV-2, but China's alleged withholding information on the origin of COVID makes this impossible to prove or disprove. "Every form of the lab leak theory involves some sort of cover up, which to me means that …

Revealed: US and China sought to create virus in 2018 similar to Covid
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Revealed: US and China sought to create virus in 2018 similar to Covid

Daily Mail  

Bombshell new documents shed light on a shady 2018 project between US and Chinese scientists to create a novel virus with the same rare features seen in Covid. In initial proposals for DEFUSE, the lab work was to be done in a biosafety-level 2 lab, which researchers said would appeal to federal grant-makers as 'highly cost effective' despite the fewer …

Michael Gove suggests to Covid-19 inquiry that virus was ‘man-made’
1 year, 1 month ago

Michael Gove suggests to Covid-19 inquiry that virus was ‘man-made’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Asked about shortcomings in preparedness for a new virus, the senior Tory said: “There …

Is THIS how the Covid pandemic began after all? Study finds strain of virus in PANGOLINS was nearly identical to the strain in humans
1 year, 3 months ago

Is THIS how the Covid pandemic began after all? Study finds strain of virus in PANGOLINS was nearly identical to the strain in humans

Daily Mail  

As infectious disease experts continue to probe the true origin of the Covid pandemic, new research is making a case for pangolins as the middlemen between the original animal host and humans. The research team found the strain of coronavirus harbored in the rare animal was nearly identical to the one that has pummeled humans, leading them to theorize that …

COVID-19 origins remain a mystery, declassified report shows
1 year, 6 months ago

COVID-19 origins remain a mystery, declassified report shows

LA Times  

Security personnel gather near the entrance of the Wuhan Institute of Virology during a visit by a team from the World Health Organization in 2021. U.S. intelligence agencies weren’t able to determine whether researchers at laboratory in Wuhan, China, who fell sick in the fall of 2019 were infected with the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the disease that soon spread …

No evidence COVID-19 created in Chinese lab: U.S. intelligence
1 year, 6 months ago

No evidence COVID-19 created in Chinese lab: U.S. intelligence

The Hindu  

The head of U.S. intelligence said on Friday that there was no evidence that the COVID-19 virus was created in the Chinese government's Wuhan research lab. Drawing on intelligence collected by various member agencies of the U.S. intelligence community, the ODNI report said some scientists at the Wuhan lab had done genetic engineering of coronaviruses similar to COVID-19. The report …

Humans brought Covid to Wuhan market? Chinese scientist's shocking claim
1 year, 8 months ago

Humans brought Covid to Wuhan market? Chinese scientist's shocking claim

Hindustan Times  

A Chinese scientist claimed that the Covid-19 virus may have originated in humans negating the theory that the virus jumped from animals to humans at the Wuhan market. Tong Yigang of the Beijing University of Chemical Technology said that the genetic sequences of viral samples taken from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan were “almost identical” to those of patients …

New study suggests possibility humans introduced COVID-19 to animals
1 year, 9 months ago

New study suggests possibility humans introduced COVID-19 to animals

China Daily  

Humans infected by the COVID-19 virus may have introduced the novel coronavirus to susceptible animals at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei province, where the first COVID-19 cases were reported, Chinese researchers said on Saturday. Tong Yigang, dean of the College of Life Science and Technology at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, said in a press briefing that no …

'Until China shares all data on COVID origin, all hypotheses remained on table': WHO Chief
1 year, 9 months ago

'Until China shares all data on COVID origin, all hypotheses remained on table': WHO Chief

India TV News  

The World Health Organization chief has again insisted China share proper data on the origin of the COVID-19 virus and said until it shares relevant data, it remains a top mystery for the world. WHO chief urges China to share data "Without full access to the information that China has, all hypotheses are on the table. Further, he expressed grave …

COVID-19 origins | GISAID U-turn adds to confusion over ‘new’ Chinese data
1 year, 9 months ago

COVID-19 origins | GISAID U-turn adds to confusion over ‘new’ Chinese data

The Hindu  

In an unusual turn of events, the scientists who recently announced what they said was “compelling” evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic had a ‘natural’ origin rather than being the product of a lab experiment gone awry were banned by GISAID from using the database that contained the genomic information they used for their study – only for the latter to …

Covid ‘most-likely’ jumped from animals to humans, claims new report
1 year, 9 months ago

Covid ‘most-likely’ jumped from animals to humans, claims new report

Hindustan Times  

A new analysis of samples taken from a market in Wuhan, China during the early days of the pandemic are the strongest evidence yet that the Covid-19 virus jumped from animals to humans, some researchers say. “These data do not provide a definitive answer to the question of how the pandemic began,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday in …

Explained | A boost to the zoonoses theory regarding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
1 year, 9 months ago

Explained | A boost to the zoonoses theory regarding the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus

The Hindu  

The story so far: In the never-ending debate about the origin of the virus that set off the COVID-19 pandemic, there is now fresh grist for the mill for those who have held out for the zoonotic angle — that the infection skipped from animals to humans. Undisclosed genetic data from a food market in Wuhan has been unearthed and …

No Alarming Trend, Says INSACOG Member on Covid Spike But 'Intelligent Pathogen' is Mutating
1 year, 9 months ago

No Alarming Trend, Says INSACOG Member on Covid Spike But 'Intelligent Pathogen' is Mutating

News 18  

There is a noticeable surge in Covid-19 cases but hospitalisation and death rate is not alarming, co-chair at INSACOG’s advisory board, Dr Saumitra Das, told News18.com in an exclusive interaction. So far, the trend of hospitalisation and deaths is not alarming.” He added: “We haven’t seen an alert either from the genome sequencing effort or the sewage surveillance program.” Das, …

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19
1 year, 9 months ago

WHO accuses China of withholding information on origin of COVID-19

The Hindu  

The World Health Organisation has accused China of withholding information and data that may throw light on the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has asked why such information was not shared three years ago. GISAID is a global science initiative and primary source established in 2008 that provides open access to genomic data of influenza viruses and the coronavirus …

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market
1 year, 9 months ago

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market

Associated Press  

BEIJING — Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, adding evidence to the theory that the virus originated from animals, not from a lab, international experts say. Tedros criticized China for not sharing the genetic information earlier, telling a press briefing that …

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market
1 year, 9 months ago

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Genetic material collected at a …

New COVID-19 origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market
1 year, 9 months ago

New COVID-19 origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market

The Hindu  

Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon dog DNA comingled with the virus, adding evidence to the theory that the virus originated from animals, not from a lab, international experts say. Mr. Tedros criticised China for not sharing the genetic information earlier, telling a press briefing that "this …

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market
1 year, 9 months ago

New COVID origins data point to raccoon dogs in China market

LA Times  

Raccoon dogs are seen at a cage in Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo. International scientists who examined previously unavailable genetic data from samples collected at a Wuhan, China, market said they found suggestions the pandemic originated in raccoon dogs, not in a lab. Genetic material collected at a Chinese market near where the first human cases of COVID-19 were identified show raccoon …

Finding COVID-19's origins is a moral imperative: WHO's Tedros
1 year, 9 months ago

Finding COVID-19's origins is a moral imperative: WHO's Tedros

The Hindu  

Discovering the origins of COVID-19 is a moral imperative and all hypotheses must be explored, the head of the World Health Organization said, in his strongest comments yet that the U.N. body remains committed to finding how the virus arose. "Understanding #COVID19's origins and exploring all hypotheses remains: a scientific imperative, to help us prevent future outbreaks a moral imperative, …

Three years later, what we know: How did COVID start?
1 year, 9 months ago

Three years later, what we know: How did COVID start?

Al Jazeera  

Three years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, questions linger about the origins of the virus that shut down borders, forced humanity into their homes, battered economies and killed millions of people. In early February, the US Department of Energy’s intelligence agency said with “low confidence” that it believed the virus originated from …

Come clean on Covid origins, says WHO as lab leak theory gains momentum
1 year, 10 months ago

Come clean on Covid origins, says WHO as lab leak theory gains momentum

India Today  

The WHO on Friday urged all countries to reveal what they know about the origins of Covid-19, following US claims of a Chinese lab leak and furious denials from Beijing. FBI director Christopher Wray told Fox News television on Tuesday that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had now assessed the source of the Covid-19 pandemic was "most likely a …

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory
1 year, 10 months ago

China dismisses FBI statement on COVID-19 lab leak theory

Firstpost  

Beijing: For the second day in a row, China on Wednesday dismissed U.S. suggestions that the COVID-19 pandemic may have been triggered by a virus that leaked from a Chinese laboratory. Responding to comments by FBI Director Christopher Wray, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said the involvement of the U.S. intelligence community was evidence enough of the “politicization of origin …

Covid-19 'most likely' leaked from Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, says FBI director
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid-19 'most likely' leaked from Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, says FBI director

Firstpost  

Washington: Covid-19 pandemic “most likely” originated from a Chinese government controlled lab in Wuhan, said FBI Director Christopher Wray. ‘Covid origin likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan’ In an interview to Fox News, Wray said: “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan.” …

FBI chief confirms Covid-19 originated from lab incident in Wuhan
1 year, 10 months ago

FBI chief confirms Covid-19 originated from lab incident in Wuhan

Deccan Chronicle  

Washington: The Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday confirmed that the Covid-19 pandemic originated from a lab incident in Wuhan, China. "FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the Bureau has assessed that the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan, China," tweeted the FBI. This development comes after new intelligence had …

Covid 'most likely' leaked from China-controlled lab: FBI director's assertion
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid 'most likely' leaked from China-controlled lab: FBI director's assertion

Hindustan Times  

The Covid virus most likely leaked from a lab in Wuhan in China, FBI director Christopher Wray said. "The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan," Christopher Wray told Fox News in an interview. ”And that's unfortunate for everybody," he added, saying that the …

Covid-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in China, tweets FBI
1 year, 10 months ago

Covid-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in China, tweets FBI

India TV News  

FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the COVID-19 pandemic likely originated from a lab incident in Wuhan even as China on Tuesday pushed back at renewed suggestions that the pandemic could have been the result of a lab leak, saying it has been “open and transparent” in the search for the virus’ origins. "FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the …

No definitive conclusion on COVID-19 origin theory: White House
1 year, 10 months ago

No definitive conclusion on COVID-19 origin theory: White House

The Hindu  

There is no definitive conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic originated from a lab in China, the White House has said. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby’s remarks came following a report that the U.S. Energy Department has concluded the virus most likely leaked from a lab in China. The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 26, citing a …

‘No conclusion on Covid origin theory’: White House on lab leak report
1 year, 10 months ago

‘No conclusion on Covid origin theory’: White House on lab leak report

Live Mint  

A day after the US Department of Energy said the coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, the White House on Monday asserted that there is no definitive conclusion on the origin of Covid-19, according to the news agency ANI. Speaking to media persons at a daily White House news conference, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications …

Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic
1 year, 10 months ago

Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab? “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.” The DOE’s conclusion was first reported over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal, which said the classified report was based …

The latest in the COVID 'lab leak' theory: What we know and don't know about the origins of the pandemic
1 year, 10 months ago

The latest in the COVID 'lab leak' theory: What we know and don't know about the origins of the pandemic

Firstpost  

Washington: The US Energy Department’s conclusion, with “low confidence,” that an accidental laboratory leak in China most likely caused the coronavirus pandemic has renewed questions about what sparked the worst public health crisis in a century — and whether the virus at the heart of it was somehow connected to scientific research. Scientists who have studied the genetics of the …

Lab-leak theory: What the evidence actually says now.
1 year, 10 months ago

Lab-leak theory: What the evidence actually says now.

Slate  

On Feb. 26, the Wall Street Journal ran a story that looked, at first glance, like a bombshell: “Lab Leak Most Likely Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic, Energy Department Now Says.” So, did something big just happen? But we do know that the DOE has “low confidence” in its assessment that the virus came from a lab, as the WSJ reported, …

Animal origins or lab leak? How Covid started remains a mystery after 3 years
1 year, 10 months ago

Animal origins or lab leak? How Covid started remains a mystery after 3 years

India Today  

A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the Covid-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab? “There is just not an intelligence community consensus.” The DOE’s conclusion was first reported over the weekend in the Wall Street Journal, which said the classified report was based on new …

Another blow to China: COVID-19 likely came from lab leak in Wuhan, claims US study
1 year, 10 months ago

Another blow to China: COVID-19 likely came from lab leak in Wuhan, claims US study

India TV News  

China virus: The virus that drove the COVID-19 pandemic, killing close to 7 million people globally, most likely emerged from a laboratory leak in China, according to a US media report, citing a classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and key members of Congress. The Central Intelligence Agency and another agency that officials would not name remain …

What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic?
1 year, 10 months ago

What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic?

NPR  

What does the science say about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic? Enlarge this image toggle caption Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic began three years ago, its origin has been a topic of much scientific — and political — debate. Enlarge this image toggle caption Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images Noel …

Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic
1 year, 10 months ago

Coronavirus origins still a mystery 3 years into pandemic

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “There is just not an …

U.S. agency says COVID came from “lab leak”, China slams “smear”
1 year, 10 months ago

U.S. agency says COVID came from “lab leak”, China slams “smear”

The Hindu  

China on Monday accused the United States of “smearing” the country and “politicising” scientific research, after a government agency in Washington published a report concluding that the COVID-19 pandemic likely began from a laboratory accident. A classified intelligence report recently provided to the White House and members of Congress, reported The Wall Street Journal on Monday, said the U.S. Energy …

US agency believes COVID-19 likely emerged from lab leak in China, say reports
1 year, 10 months ago

US agency believes COVID-19 likely emerged from lab leak in China, say reports

Firstpost  

Washington: The coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, the US Department of Energy now says according to media, although the White House maintained Sunday that American intelligence remained divided on the issue. The determination – noted in a classified report by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines’s office, The Wall Street Journal reported – marks a shift …

US says Chinese lab leak most likely caused Covid-19: Report
1 year, 10 months ago

US says Chinese lab leak most likely caused Covid-19: Report

Hindustan Times  

The coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, the US Department of Energy now says according to media, although the White House maintained Sunday that American intelligence remained divided on the issue. The determination -- noted in a classified report by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines's office, The Wall Street Journal reported -- marks a shift by …

China rejects US lab-leak theory news report on Covid-19 origin
1 year, 10 months ago

China rejects US lab-leak theory news report on Covid-19 origin

India Today  

China on Monday rejected a new US report that claims the Covid-19 virus may have leaked from a bio laboratory in Wuhan, saying the origins-tracing of the pandemic "is about science and should not be politicised." The USDE has assessed in the intelligence report that it had “low confidence” that the Covid-19 virus accidentally escaped from a lab in Wuhan, …

US claims Covid likely emerged from China laboratory leak: Report
1 year, 10 months ago

US claims Covid likely emerged from China laboratory leak: Report

Live Mint  

The coronavirus pandemic likely arose from a Chinese laboratory leak, the US Department of Energy now says according to media, although the White House maintained Sunday that American intelligence remained divided on the issue. The determination -- noted in a classified report by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines's office, The Wall Street Journal reported -- marks a shift by …

Lack of info on China’s explosive COVID-19 outbreak stirs global concern
2 years ago

Lack of info on China’s explosive COVID-19 outbreak stirs global concern

LA Times  

The U.S., Japan and other countries are concerned that the Chinese government may not inform the rest of the world quickly enough about new variants. Moves by several countries to mandate COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China reflect global concern that new variants could emerge in its ongoing explosive outbreak — and that the government may not inform the …

WHO Chief Asks China To Share Data To Understand Origins Of Novel Coronavirus
2 years ago

WHO Chief Asks China To Share Data To Understand Origins Of Novel Coronavirus

ABP News  

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has asked China for data concerning Covid-19 to understand the origins of the novel coronavirus. The WHO chief said that he was "hopeful" that the COVID-19 pandemic would no longer be considered a global health emergency next year. "We're hopeful that at some point next year, we will be able to say that …

WHO chief call on China to share requested data to probe origins of Covid-19
2 years ago

WHO chief call on China to share requested data to probe origins of Covid-19

Live Mint  

In a bid to understand the origins of the coronavirus, World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has called on China to share the requested data concerning Covid-19. While briefing the media, as quoted in a statement on the organisation's website, he said, "We continue to call on China to share the data and conduct the studies that we have …

Covid-19 variants still transmissible between species, finds new study
2 years, 1 month ago

Covid-19 variants still transmissible between species, finds new study

Hindustan Times  

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is still highly transmissible between mammals, according to a study based on computer simulations. The findings, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, show how the viral spike proteins in several SARS-CoV-2 variants interact with the host cell receptors known as ACE2 in both humans and various bats of genus Rhinolophus. "We were hoping to see …

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