[clearcoat]

Right, this is what I was thinking. Like with a quick Google for "wet markets" prior to 2019 I see tons of articles warning about the dangers and calling for China to close them:

2007: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-foodmarket-idUSHKG2...

2012: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/12/wet-markets-in-china-...

2013: https://qz.com/141596/chinese-bats-carry-viruses-primed-to-c...

2017: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/china-ground-z...

I was more aware of this danger and I guess the lab leak theory sounds more like a sci-fi plot to me before the pandemic.