Interview, correction, qualification

DW news, quite rightly and correctly, asked me for clarification on my contention that the virus was likely to have arisen in Africa. We know that a young woman arrived from Egypt who had flown via Turkey into Belgium landing on the 11th of November.

We also we also know that she became symptomatic and tested positive for the omicron variant on the 22nd of November.

It is possible that this young woman had a long incubation period of 11 days or more, but this is somewhat improbable.

This clearly leaves open the possibility that she contracted the virus within Belgium, between the 11th and 22nd of November.

It is therefore within the bounds of possibility that she originally contracted this virus in Egypt, or on the flight from Egypt to Turkey, or the flight from Turkey to Belgium, or in Belgium.

This is what we know so far and of course it is important not to over extrapolate from the facts at our disposal.

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