For the first time in the history of mankind, an extremely fragisle, near-dead organism has shaken up the mighty human race with unprecedented fear of death. No wonder, the entire mankind has come together to fight the micro-size thing with whatever method that comes to mind. There have been several corona viruses ravaging mankind in the recent past. They invariably cause flue initially and eventually damage the respiratory system by affecting the lungs with acute pneumonia. The same type of Chinese SARS virus of 2002 was very deadly but much less infective. The RNA genetic material dupes the host human cell and gets itself re-replicated by the confused host very fast. Besides, infected humans may not show even the mildest symptoms until ten to fourteen days have passed by, which poses the biggest problem.
The virus gets destroyed easily with soap solution because its protective outer cover is only a thin layer that gets ruptured in the soap solution in about 15-20 seconds. The infected individuals can release the virus into air by sneezing and, unless protected with masklike covers, people nearby can get the pathogen on their bodies.
It is also true that twenty per cent of the infected persons get sick severely and out of these twenty, a mere five per cent seek intensive care with respiratory support. That’s where the panic occurs as the number of the infected people is so big that hospital beds, healthcare personnel are found badly inadequate. Sophisticated lifesaving ventilators have not been in place anywhere in the world, for which the elderly and the less immune left to die.
Humans have been exposed to more than two hundred types of flu viruses that are routinely ignored. But this crown-like virus has taken the human race by the tail and shockingly unawares.
Wise people and spiritual leaders say nature is taking strong steps to teach the human race a lesson for ravaging all its resources and creations without any effort to have these replenished. The planet has evolved systems that promote and support ‘trans-species democracy' which has sustained life forms equitably. The greedy humans have broken that divine equilibrium and, hence, the horrific wrath of nature on display.
The more frightening fact is the current corona virus is not the last one. There is more coming, one after the other. No virus has any life of its own and so never gets killed by any drug or medicine. The only way to remain safe is to keep the virus warded off or hide away from it. Further, ‘herd immunity' is difficult to attain in this case as at least 60-70 per cent of the population needs to be infected to develop that universal fighting power, which is not possible in the current crisis.
From now on, more hospital beds with support system to manage pneumonic conditions are the only way out. Lastly, vaccines that actually are the only answer cannot be developed overnight. At least one full year is required to come up with a fully-tested vaccine.
Though the greatest enemy of mankind in thousands of years, corona has also done a great deal of good to the planet. Excessive fear has now forced industries to reduce output of luxury items, combustion machines of all types to run at less than five-per cent capacity and human beings to eat simple home food thereby dissuading big food chains to close shops that consumed so much of natural resources indiscriminately. Consequently, carbon emissions have declined substantially. Amusingly, fossil fuel vehicles are literally locked. The air around the planet has now turned as clean as in the early 19th century.
Internationally-acclaimed virologist Dr Ian Lipkin says the Covid-19 pandemic is only a beginning. The humanity has more such crises coming. Only behaviour change can keep us alive and healthy. Much of unnecessary economic activity has to decrease to retard the rising rate of health crises. Deforestation, population migration, international trade and travel have all reduced to zero now and should remain low when minimal normalcy returns. People are back home and less sick as is evident from empty beds at hospitals. Since the Spanish Flu, there have been many epidemics such as AIDS, Nipah, Chikungunya, SARS-1, MERS, swine flu and more, but none of those could hammer fear into the arrogant and unruly human mind as much as corona has done. Human beings should not forget the way corona has civilised them to come together against one invisible enemy only to survive. They have to remain humble and give up the criminal way of devouring away all that has been so caringly created by nature across millions of years!