Just a rant by a cynical trader who doesn't care about this thing one way or another. Quote:
In one version of the rumor, the virus was engineered in the lab by humans as a bioweapon. In another version, the virus was being studied in the lab (after being isolated from animals) and then “escaped” or “leaked” because of poor safety protocol.
https://www.vox.com/2020/3/4/21156607/how-did-the-coronavirus-get-started-china-wuhan-lab
The virus is stated to be naturally occurring in native bat populations within China. According to the official story, it infected humans through a susceptible intermediary species.
Suppose that this was malicious and intentional. In other words, bioweapons experts, professional virologists, epidemiologists and/or zoonotic disease researchers identified, and then planned and executed COVID-19.
This is not so far fetched.
Research would have indicated that the virus propagates rapidly and effectively.
The total population reduction would be relatively minor, however the effects of an ongoing, prolonged, and uncontrolled spread would have devastating economic consequences in a human population. This virus attacks the older/weaker subset of the population, and causes devastating and severe disease and death. Yet, it spreads much more benignly among the stronger/younger/healthier subgroup.
Different economic systems would mitigate these severe and complex economic consequences in a differentiated manner. (competitively)
China has become pretty good at shutting down dangerous diseases due to this type of thing happening over and over again there. And even if it got out of control, they could just cover it up.
This thing is deniable throughout. It is robustly deniable.
Naturally occurring
Plausible transmission vector (wetmarket, pangolin)
