In search of a Pathogen

Kamal Baruah *

The outbreak of the worst pandemics in history was a huge loss for human being. They are a major international threat. American business magnate, software developer, investor and philanthropist Bill Gates has warned for years that the world is not ready for a deadly pandemic.

The pathogen comes one in a century and we need to save lives. People unknowingly spread diseases which end up killing of millions of people in the past. Roman army had been decimated after their soldiers returning from Mesopotamia - between the rivers of the Tigris and Euphrates around 165 AD from Antonine Plague.

Now the push for the human race to survive the Covid-19 pandemic became the primary concern to the world. The new virus spreads incredibly quickly between people as no one on earth has immunity to this novel coronavirus.

The panic, driven by far brings out the worst even to rich American and European people too. In the midst of the true meaning of 21st century civilization, our planet earth is heading for the apocalypse of Covid-19.

All life on earth is made up of plants (82%), bacteria (13%), everything else (5% that include humans make up only 0.01% of earth’s total biomass). Thereby Viruses lie around our environment all of the time just waiting for a host cell to come along. They can enter us through the nose, mouth or breaks in the skin.

Once inside, they find a host cell to infect. For example, cold and flu viruses will attack cells that line the respiratory or digestive tracts. Japanese have tradition to wear a mask in their social life to protect from such contagious disease.

Hand-washing could significantly reduce the spread of viruses and other infectious diseases. Hindu personal hygiene practices associated with washing of hands & feet, rinsing of mouth and cleaning the teeth since ancient times. With just one Microscopic virus, humans got scared, begging their lives by staying home for safety now.

Scientists have been trying to understand the cause of the virus. It might have developed in bats later pangolins and interestingly Wuhan wet market trades all kind of wild animal which is the centre of the initial outbreak.

The Spanish flu 1918 was the worst pandemic in history, which killed 50 million people. The Asian flu 1957 also killed more than 1 million people. Swine flu, bird or avian flu is common in pigs and birds. In recent years viruses have been linked to camels (causing MERS) and monkeys (Ebola) now spreads to humans.

While Medical science has advanced rapidly; it’s unlikely to offer full protection (potential vaccine) from a possible pandemic, because of the novel nature of the diseases involved. Wild birds are also a natural host for a variety of influenza strains that all above can spark pandemic anytime where deadly virus originates.

Since the dawn of civilisation, the world’s 7.6 billion people have caused the loss of wild mammals and plants, while livestock kept by humans abounds. What’s next after the recent past of our days of living dangerously?

Human beings have not learnt anything from mistakes. Should a new initiative be aimed at beating the menace of Virus?

The gift of the nature to us is abundant but we exploit endlessly. Ironically we are yet to realise such destruction of nature which is as big a threat to humanity. Is the nature only created for human being?

Professor Stephen Hawking says in his book “The Big Bang” – the evolution of our universe has made the only planet earth possible for life after 3.8 billion years. Thereby every creature in our planet has a right to live.

We created enough chaos and pollution. We are destroying nature at an unprecedented rate, threatening the survival of a million species. Our destruction of biodiversity and ecosystem services has reached the danger level.

It’s time to introspect and listen to nature’s call for its calm, vastness and stillness. Human beings have forgotten for its greed for the idiotic concept of economic well being and have injured the other species and nature of the earth.

According to biologists and anthropologists who study our anatomy and our evolutionary history, humans are herbivores, which are not well suited to eating meat. China’s appetite for wildlife is likely to survive virus anytime.

Traders are legally selling donkey, dog, deer, crocodile, bats, snakes, civets and other meat. China’s taste for eating wildlife and using animal parts for medicinal purposes is very deeply rooted in their culture and history. One bad habit is that they dare to eat anything.

Now as the ongoing pandemic continues that affected 1.3 million people causing seventy four thousand lives around the world, it has unintentionally brought an unexpected change to the nature. There are stories about nature that springing back to life.

With the humans busy isolating and quarantining themselves at lockdown, the nature takes over our earth and animals roams in the city’s residential areas. Animals might not know why humans are so scared. In the wake of very different catastrophes, when humans move out, wild animal flourish.

While one hundred of thousands of people were evacuated after Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster, the world began to wonder after endangered Przewalski’s horses made a small comeback with help from the abandoned area’s shelters.

Nature probably hates vacuum and these epidemic is unlikely to spread from human to animals. Of late it’s raising new question about human to animal transmission of the deadly virus that spread to tiger in US Zoo.

In a matter of few months, Covid 19 has a lasting impact on the environment. Amid global deaths from the virus, it could lead a profound change to our economic activity too that has stalled, disrupted supply chains, stock markets tumbled and millions of people lose their jobs.

But at the same time, our sky, air, water would get purified. NO2, CO2, carbon emission level and coal use fell substantially. The other day, this writer was receiving a call from Kolkata based IITian Professor Dr Raghavendra Choudhury, who opined self purification of our planet earth for its survival with the future.

Humans can’t go prejudice against nature. Our civilization has totally been shattered by an attack from a tiny microscopic particle. Our humanity must face transformation from western civilization into global further too universal civilization. We must do it naturally instead of a manmade plan.

Should human being learn after this microscopic menace? Some of the ominous prediction is now playing out as the deadly coronavirus spread around the globe. Currently there is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. However, drugs previously developed to treat other viral infections (like chloroquine) are being tested now.

In France, ibuprofen is tried. Antiviral drug remdesivir is their thought as Covid-19 is similar to the cause of the diseases SARS & MERS. People use high dose Vitamin C to prevent infection.

Controversial anti malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is given to patients in US and Australia now. Many studies are underway for an affordable vaccine after this deadly cause of the pathogen Covid-19. Scientists are in search of the answer.