The world as we knew it’s currently on lockdown due to Covid19, with that said there seems to be a lot of misinformation on the subject which only leads to more and more panic. That is why I decided to research more on the topic, in order to put together an article which I hope helps others understand more what Covid19 is and how panicking isn’t helping at all.
When I was young, my father taught me if one wants to know how the motor within a vehicle really works, one should talk to a mechanical engineer instead of trying to learn about it from the person who changes tires. What he was trying to teach me is the importance of dealing with the source, that is what I am hoping to do here. For this article I have researched for weeks, focusing on reports done by virologists all over the world including virologists from the “Transgovernmental Enterprise for Pandemic” in Korea, others from Russia, Spain and Hong Kong.
I mostly focused on those because places like Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and China are recuperating quite well, with Korea having been commended for their quick response.
Let’s talk about Corona Virus 19 or COVID19. By now we have all heard the name via news and social media but few people grasp what Covid19 actually is and how it works.
Before we focus on Covid19 let me explain to you what a virus is: A virus is a biological structure that doesn’t even qualify as a cell. When a virus goes beyond its traditional patterns it is considered a bacteria–viruses aren’t bacteria. For a virus to reproduce it needs to infect a cell; it needs a host. There are various types of viruses such as the flu viruses, Aids viruses, Hepatitis viruses among many others. Viruses can also help us; such is the case when Biologists who study molecular genetics use viruses as vectors, since viruses are capable or reaching the DNA of a cell.
Both viruses and bacteria cause illnesses, however bacteria can be treated with antibiotics and qualifies as a “live” organism while a virus is something Biologist struggle to define; however many Biologists define it as a live organism despite the fact that it needs a host to survive, but it can reproduce. Viruses can be identified as part of a family–Covid19 is part of a family of viruses which were known in the 1980’s. Corona Viruses are viruses which are wrapped in a cell membrane, a protein layer and inside the genetic material. SARS is part of the Corona Virus family and Covid19 is a mutation of the virus named after the family to which it belongs and the year in which it was discovered.
Many people often read that Covid19 is a virus which mutated; such statement leaves many people who are not familiar with how viruses work in a state of alarm; they are not informed that it is absolutely normal for viruses to mutate–they are constantly doing so–that is why people every year get a flu shot; it is not just a one time thing.
We have DNA viruses, Single Chain DNA viruses and RNA viruses. The family of Corona Virus belong to the RNA virus just like Aids or Ebola. RNA viruses have a higher percentage of mutation. Covid19 has so far not behaved; despite bogus alarmists; any different than virologists would expect from an RNA virus.
Here are some quick facts to help ease your mind:
-By February 2020 Covid19 had a death toll of 2% (Sars had a mortality toll of 11%, I am not talking about infected cases but mortality).
-Today April 2nd, 2020–981,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide with the death toll exceeding 50,000.
-Millions of people every year take the flu shot yet the success rate for such vaccine is 50-60%
-Every year 3-5 million people worldwide are affected by the seasonal flu (This are the most severe cases reported) of that number 390,000-650,000 died from it.
**When looking at numbers regarding pandemics it is important to focus on the number of infected cases against the number of deaths in order to get a proper perspective and then compare it to others such as Ebola, Polio, Spanish Flu.
-The Spanish flu, considered the last great pandemic in recent history claimed the lives of over 5,000,000 people. During the pandemic there was no room for patients anywhere, they had to set tents and temporal hospices all over and even then there was no room to host the number of people severely infected.
-Covid19– MOST hospitals; most not all; around the world are empty. Talking to doctors and nurses, they will tell you how the E.R is pretty quiet something which isn’t typical or similar to previous pandemics.
-Covid19 does not eat at your lungs.
COVID-19 is a new condition, and scientists are learning more every day about what it can do to your lungs. They believe that the effects on your body are similar to those of two other coronavirus diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 can cause a range of breathing problems, from mild to critical. Older adults and people who have other health conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes may have more serious symptoms. COVID-19 just like its predecessors does damage to lungs, this mostly happens for people with low immune system.
-Covid19 has an 11% death rate for people over 80/ 1.5% for people over 60/ 0.4% for people over 50 and 0.01% for people under 40.
I am in no way being sarcastic at the seriousness of the situation at hand. I am not trying to encourage stupidity; people who think they can just violate health precautions; as it is such health precautions which help us prevent a more severe number of deaths. What this article is meant to do however, is to help stop the great level of ignorance which promotes fear and panic. Panic will only create more problems, more false information will be spread and that will affect the economy worldwide.
There are people out there via social media who are giving false reports as to how fast the virus mutated from an animal to people and in a matter of weeks was found in humans and then mutated again; such news has only cause panic, hatred, etc. Science Daily has made it very clear that there is no evidence for such claims even less truth to how fast it mutated yet people read or hear bogus claims and believe them without proper research. I encourage people to research, and when trying to get facts as close to reality as you can, go beyond what is presented in front of you. Why aren’t we listening to experts from around the world, specially from countries with high recovery rates?
Why am I trying to help stop panic? because we need to learn from history. History has taught us time and time again how panic on such matters only makes things worst and leads to greater disasters. I look around and all over the world people are being helped by their governments which is a beautiful thing to witness, especially given the circumstances. I love watching such a sense of comradery but I can’t shake off an uneasy feeling; the constant wondering of what will happen when this is all over….Where is all this money coming from? Let’s take a minute to think about that.
There are countries giving free laptops and WIFI for children to learn at home. Stores have assigned special hours for senior and the fragile to shop. Interests on student loans have been frozen. Pregnant women, disabled people and single parents are working from home. Abandoned federal buildings are being used to house the homeless. Medical fees are being suspended, sick people are being encouraged to take time off. When I look at all of these, I have to wonder. I feel as if I’m looking at a world described by Socialism vs. Capitalism. None of it makes sense as Capitalism teaches that a Socialist life style cannot be supported and would lead to the collapse of society. So I have to use my brain and think; either Capitalists were lying to us and Socialism does work, or when this is all said and done our governments are going to be in great debt and such debt usually means more taxes or a recession–now you understand why this whole thing is bothering me?
In the 1920’s people failed to look at the signs for an economic collapse; perhaps if they had it would have been preventable; however we can learn from that and apply it at the time we are currently in.
At the rate our governments are going and after all is said and done, it is more likely that there will be an economical crisis due to all the money being spent. Covid19 has not created the crisis it is simply the accelerator.
In the great scheme of things economical crisis are not necessarily bad, it could be considered a natural process to how our economies work; specially when multiple investors allocate money to the wrong things and crisis are what “correct” such a hit. What happens is, major investors keep pouring money on things which keep taking money but there is no return, as such a crisis is generated, such crisis demolishes the “invested businesses” and brings back normality to the original investors. Economists will tell you such a “crisis phenomenon” is natural and bound to happen every so often.
Economy is generated by the movement of money; when we buy things (food, clothes, stocks, investments, gas, etc.) the economy flows (I am not advocating for the over buying of things you don’t need, I am simply explaining how capitalism works) On the other hand when all things are put at halt, then the economy is bound to take tumble. To summarize, fear hurts the economy, which in turn can lead to economical crisis which hurts most people except the great investors who need the crisis to rectify their margin.
We can’t have such a limited vision as to forget to look at the whole picture. Yes, it is very important to focus on the present and do our part to deal with Covid19 as quickly and effectively as possible, but we can’t be so naïve as to not foresee what could happen in the near future if we don’t stop panicking. Let’s focus instead on doing our part to efficiently deal with this virus instead of putting all our hopes on the invention of a vaccine (The world health organization has made it clear that to this day there is no vaccine against SARS, research continues. Let’s not forget SARS is part of the Corona Virus family.)
Scientists from the Transgovernmental Enterprise for Pandemic are telling us just what to do:
WASH YOUR HAND AND WEAR A MASK. This may seem overly simplistic and even down right stupid; however, you can either laugh at it or learn from those who are doing much better than we are.
Wash your hands: To put it plainly, Corona Viruses are balls of RNA, protected by protein, stuck together by grease–plain all everyday soap breaks the grease which destroys the virus protection.
Wear a mask: Make sure to wear a mask, when doing so do not make the mistake of simply covering your mouth, it should cover your nose as well. Discard your mask often as breathing produces moisture which after a while turns your mask into a breeding ground for bacteria.
Hand Sanitizer. When out and about carry hand sanitizer with you or Lysol wipes to disinfect your hands or surrounding areas.
When we stop providing the breeding ground to this Virus, like its predecessors it will go away as it needs a host…it’s time to take its hosts away by practicing clean habits, and if you are feeling ill then please practice social distancing.
Together we can do this. We can be more aware without being afraid. We are already proving to ourselves; through all systems in place; that we can be more humane. Let’s now start working on our mental resilience, as being alert isn’t the same as being in panic. Panic causes tunnel vision. Calm, acceptance of danger in situations like this, allows us to more easily assess the situation and see the options.
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