Covid-19 - A Natural Phenomenon
Viruses are
not living things ; They are complicated assemblies of molecules, including
proteins, nucleic acids (DNA & RNA), lipids and carbohydrates ; But on
their own they can do nothing unless or until they enter in living cells ;
Where they can replicate themselves & mutate in the host cells ; Viruses are continuously changing as a result
of genetic selection ; They undergo subtle genetic changes through mutation and
major genetic changes through recombination . Mutation occurs when an error is
incorporated in the viral genome ; Recombination
occurs when co-infecting viruses
exchange their genetic information creating a new type i.e. novel virus ;
In
prehistoric times human beings were hunter-gatherer ; Apart from hunting their prey animals, mainly
big herbivorous animals, their interaction with the animal world was minimal ;
But along with growth of civilization they started domestication of animals,
forming dairies, piggeries, poultry farms etc.
In modern times, along with the growth of population explosion, human
interaction with animals like pigs, birds(hen etc.) , has reached to an
unprecedented degree of concentration in some pockets of the world, depending
on the local food habits, trade etc.
Such pockets have become the dens of tremendous viral
accumulation/concentration giving rise to a much higher degree of evolutionary
pressure upon virus mutation ;
Again, let
us come back to understand the cause of virus mutation in short & very simple
words ; We have already seen that viruses are micro infectious organisms which
reproduce inside the living cells of the host ; When infected or attacked, the host
cell is forced to rapidly produce thousands of original copies of the of the
virus and if error occurs during the process, it may be called a biological
accident at micro-organic level, which
give rise to a new type of virus which again starts its own
replication ;
Viruses,
especially those made of RNA can mutate rapidly to give rise to new types ; Host cells may
have little protection against such new forms ; As for example Influenza virus
changes often, so a new vaccine is required to combat it each year ; However,
under evolutionary pressure, when there
occurs a major change by mutation, it
causes pandemics, as for example Swine Flu which spread to most countries in 2009 ; In many cases, viruses infiltrate and mutate
in animal host cells, giving rise to the Zoonotic disease ; Such as
Coronavirus in Bats and Influenza in pigs & birds, before they are
transferred to humans ;
Thus we
see, the present Novel
Corona Virus might well be and
most likely is a natural phenomenon like Spanish Flu Pandemic in 1918, Ebola in West Africa in 1976 etc. These
viruses are extremely detrimental & contagious and along with the growth of civilization the possibilities of their recurrence in new forms again & again
could not be & cannot be avoided altogether
;
However, this dangerous virus could not be prevented from rapidly spreading throughout the
world and it is the only failure on part of the mankind ;
However, this dangerous virus could not be prevented from rapidly spreading throughout the
world and it is the only failure on part of the mankind ;
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