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Comment by Stephen A. Goldstein

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Virologist and evolutionary biologist at the University of Utah studying viral emergence and SARS-CoV-2 origins
This map shows that the early cases in December 2019 are close to the market. Then, as cases build, they continue to be centered around that market. Just as significantly, we looked at excess deaths. You could posit that you don't catch the early cases because of a bias towards detecting cases associated with the Huanan market, and other parts of the city may have been missed. But we know that wherever this virus goes, it also causes excess deaths. We looked at the districts in Wuhan where excess deaths first appeared. Again, that maps to the district surrounding the Huanan market and not really to any other part of the city. This suggests that the epidemic began in markets in this district: the Huanan market and possibly other markets as well.
AI Verified (Aug 19, 2021)
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Stephen Goldstein, interviewed by Julie Kiefer, University of Utah Health, August 19, 2021.
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The clustering of early cases around the Huanan market reflects where the COVID-19 virus emerged, not just where testing looked
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AI Verified Relevant: the quote directly addresses whether the early Wuhan case cluster near the Huanan market reflects true origin rather than mere case-finding bias. Goldstein explicitly raises the possibility that investigators preferentially detected market-linked cases, then argues against that explanation by citing the geographic pattern of early excess deaths and concluding that the epidemic began in markets in that district. In the source context, this is presented as evidence about where the outbreak began, so the author’s stance on the complete statement is determinable. ([uofuhealth.utah.edu](https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/newsroom/news/2021/08/lab-leak-interview)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago
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AI Verified for — He explicitly answers the 'testing looked there' alternative: even if early case detection were biased toward the Huanan market, the first excess deaths also mapped to the market’s district, and he concludes, 'This suggests that the epidemic began in markets in this district.' In the source context, he adds that this shows where 'the epidemic began' and where intense transmission began, though he stops short of claiming it pinpoints the very first human introduction. · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago

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AI Verified Verified: the University of Utah Health page dated 2021-08-19 contains this passage verbatim in the interview answer about what the map shows, and the page clearly presents the remarks as Stephen Goldstein’s response in an interview by Julie Kiefer. PubMed for the related Cell review corroborates the researcher’s full name as Stephen A. Goldstein. ([uofuhealth.utah.edu](https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/newsroom/news/2021/08/lab-leak-interview)) · YouCongress gpt-5.4-2026-03-05 · 3mo ago
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