you know what? no.

i was going to let this shit stay buried and just block you, but honestly, this reductive line of thinking is not just infuriating, it’s dangerous, and it chills me to think other people might have the same overly-simplistic view of the cause of this pandemic. so let’s try and turn this unnecessarily antagonistic interaction around, and learn some facts.

firstly, research into the origins of covid-19 is still ongoing and a definitive source has not yet been determined. the link with bats comes from the fact that the virus closely resembles existing viruses found in bats and pangolins[1] (side note: by your logic, pangolins are also a forbidden animal. so be sure to be rude to anyone who posts gifs of them, too). but that doesn’t mean that bats or pangolins are at fault for the spread of covid-19. no animal is at fault for being the origin of a disease that has jumped to humans. such is the case of civet cats and SARS. civet cats were proven to be the likely source of SARS in humans[2], but it was furthermore determined that most civet cat populations did not have the disease, and that it was overwhelmingly found in a market in which overcrowding and contact with other animals was the likely cause of the disease in civets[3], which then jumped to humans through the consumption of civet cat meat.

in other words, it was the fault of humans and their mishandling of civet cats that ultimately caused the SARS epidemic. which is also shaping up to be case with covid-19. although i wouldn’t count it as an academic source, this opinion piece by dr. robert breiman is worth a read.

secondly, i don’t think it’s possible at this point to deny the fact that the rampant spread of covid-19 has very little to do with its origin, whatever that may be, and everything to do with the fact that we, as a society, were so incredibly underprepared for a pandemic. epidemiologists have been warning us for years that the next pandemic was inevitable, and that when it happened we would not be able to handle it if appropriate precautions weren’t taken. well, they weren’t. and here we are.

thirdly, fear-mongering about bats has already put them in extreme, unnecessary danger[4] and could have untold consequences on the ecosystem as a whole, especially given that many species of bat is already critically endangered. bats provide an essential role in pollination and reducing the population of disease-carrying insects. maligning them as being the cause of covid-19 based on incomplete research is hugely irresponsible.

lastly, on a more personal note: i’m writing this post from home quarantine, where my mother has been showing many of the symptoms of covid-19. because of the lack of available tests, we have no idea if she has it, or just a severe, poorly-timed cold. we have no certainty one way or another. her doctor has told her to stay at home unless her cough turns into shortness of breath, at which point azaya and i have to be ready to rush her to the hospital, which for all we know may not even be able to treat her because of overcrowding and lack of resources.

my sister-in-law has also been confirmed to have come in direct contact with someone who has covid-19, and as a result she and both my mother-in-law and father-in-law are also in quarantine. there is not a single person in my immediate family who is not at risk for the disease or, in my mom’s case, might already have it. and because our country’s politicians do not give a shit about us, we have no way of knowing, no access to early stage treatment and have been told to just stay home and only seek medical treatment if things get bad, by which point it could be too late. we have spent the last week in a state of near-constant anxiety, and i have sobbed in azaya’s arms on more than one occasion.

but as scared for my family as i have been, and as angry as this whole situation has made me, i have not once blamed bats for it. because doing so is not only wrong, but it shifts blame away from those actually at fault. if you want someone to be angry with, start with the utterly incompetent politicians that fired their country’s pandemic response team to cut costs[5]. start with the heartless rich assholes demanding millions of dollars for the use of their empty real estate as desperately-needed hospital space[6]. and definitely don’t assume that the people you’re accusing of being insensitive about the current global crisis for using a bat gif aren’t also being directly effected by that crisis.

p.s. i hope it goes without saying that i don’t want anyone dog-piling on this person. i’ve said my piece, i’m done, and now i’m going to go recolor some shit.