Why a virus? Well, there is a thought held by some that a virus cleanses the area it inhabits. In its wake it leaves the most fit, the most canny, the most intelligent. Yes, it is harsh and no, we don’t want it. The cure is not to get it in the first place. I cannot help but ask where were the W.H.O. and C.D.C. when we needed them after the first outbreak! The coronavirus is not new. When you have a puppy vaccinated, that serum contains a vaccine for a strain of corona that attacks animals – in particular, canines.
It is a characteristic of viruses that they can be and usually are highly specific. A virus has a life, almost a personality, that dictates the ease with which it travels or spreads. Viruses can be prevalent and yet not easy to get – the difference being that not all viruses spread the same way. Human beings are near perfect vehicles for virus travel; hence the very sound advice to stay home, shop if you must, and use disinfectants liberally. Older and infirm persons are at high risk.
Viruses are separated according to appearance which in some cases denotes their effectiveness. When they are identified they are separated into “families.” The “family” denotes their efficiency and method of travel. Viruses can also evolve in order to survive. Scientists usually assign a virus to a level hopefully one with a vaccine. Viruses consist of proteins and in some cases are distantly related to measles and mumps. All living things carry some form of a virus; it’s why we keep clean. When we are sick or just not feeling great, we tend to stay at home and isolate ourselves. We quarantine.
When I first sat down to write this column, I thought of the last time I had driven down the freeway to Portland. The freeways are lined with homeless camps consisting of tents, large boxes, and other primitive shelters with cast off toilets, and the occasional recliner. Portland has allowed this situation to continue for a few years now. This is not, in my opinion, a “kindness.” Instead it creates a fertile ground for disease and sickness to prevail. How far reaching is it? That remains an unknown. Should Portland wake up? In the opinion of this writer, yes.
The scenario playing out all over the world as different countries battle to contain and eradicate the coronavirus is not new. This scenario has already played out in books such as The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Will this current outbreak be our wake-up call? Now, in Sandy, we isolate. We try not to panic. We sanitize. We use our heads.
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