Its Not Over Yet !

That rumour claiming that the Coronavirus escaped from a Chinese military laboratory in Wuhan is gaining credibility with news that a new strain has emerged in the United States that affects children.  It is being called " Kawasaki disease" and so far more than a hundred children, ranging from teenagers to new-borns have been affected and three have died.

It also helps to explain the measures the Chinese government seems prepared to take to stave off an international enquiry into how COVID-19 originated.  When Australia's prime minister added his voice to that call, China threatened to slap a punative duty on our barley exports and now a similar restriction is looming over beef exports.  It is very clear that China is sensitive to any enquiry that may determine culpability and is prepared to use its economy to shut it down.

There is nothing new in military research into biological weapon  development being carried out as a war weapon.  That reached its height in both Germany and Japan during the second world war and there is evidence that after the war promising scientists were recruited by both the United States and Russia to continue with that venue.  It would be remarkable if China was not carrying our such research as a defence measure.

It now seems likely that this extension to children could be caused by seasonal weather variations.  The medical term that covers it is " paediatric multisystem  inflammatory syndrome " which is triggered by a warmer and wetter winter.   That is exactly the conditions we expect to develop this year in Victoria and Tasmania.

So far this has not been detected in Australia and if it is a seasonal strain our paediatric specialist network will be on high alert to watch for it.  In the northern hemisphere only a small number of children have tested positive to COVID-19 and most have quickly recovered.  What is now happening in the United States is reason for concern.

This frenetic Chinese reaction to an international enquiry is understandable.  Strict Communist ideology has given way to " capitalism with limits " that has resulted in the emergence of a vast Chinese middle class.  It can travel and it can grow rich, but its one party system cracks down hard on any form of dissent.  It is particularly sensitive to blame for the lockdown that interrupted that prosperity turning into unrest with the Communist party.

The venom with which it has attacked Australia over that enquiry issue is illustrative.   We are a middling power posing no military threat to China but it has chosen to play the export card to force our compliance.  Perhaps the Communist government has its ear to the ground and the unity of its population is not as solid as it would have the world believe.

As any psychiatrist would attest, perhaps a sign of a guilty conscience  !