Engage, Harmonize and Adopt: How to Thrive with Bugs
We are all heartily tired of thinking and worrying about COVID-19. In fact, many nations worldwide have pivoted their focus from containing the virus to learning how to live with it. Even though the virus has killed more than 5.5 million people worldwide, it is worth reminding ourselves that 50-100 million people died in the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, and another 200 million lost their lives to smallpox in the last century alone.
Viruses have been with us since time immemorial. The vast majority of viruses support life on earth, and without them, life and this planet would cease to exist. Viruses cull microbes in the oceans so that oxygen-producing plankton has the nutrients it needs to undertake photosynthesis. Viruses are a natural part of population control for a variety of species. Without them, some species would dominate, and we would rapidly lose biodiversity on the planet.
Viruses help cows, and other ruminants turn grass into sugars that can be converted into body mass and milk. Viruses are also believed to be integral for maintaining healthy microbiomes both in the bodies of humans and in other animals. Viruses help some plants deter harmful pests, and some viruses can help ward off pathogens in humans. It is also believed that a bit of genetic code borrowed from ancient retroviruses allowed for the evolution of the placenta, which made live mammalian births possible.
It is thought that much less than 1% of viruses cause disease in humans. Only one such virus, smallpox, has ever been eradicated from the earth. It is believed our seasonal viral flu probably evolved from the virus that caused the deadly 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. Although effective vaccines help avoid many common viruses, humans continue to live with HPV, hepatitis, measles, mumps, HIV, monkeypox, sore throats, bronchitis, pneumonia, and stomach viruses.
In 2020, when the COVID pandemic began, we feared for our lives and the safety of the people we loved. We hoarded toilet paper, hunkered down at home, ordered takeout food and groceries, and even wiped down our mail, paper money, and cereal boxes. Schools were shut down, the economy suffered, and many of us lost our livelihoods. We ceased going to gyms, visiting with friends, never traveled, and hung out on social media. We had sickened family and friends, and sadly some who died. With each day, some of us felt we were losing control of our lives.
Over time our fear of the COVID pandemic is gradually subsiding. Some of us viewed the pandemic as a positive; it made us reevaluate our morals and beliefs, built resilience and humanitarianism, and showed us the importance of work/life balance. It seems that we have become accustomed to a new normal that the pandemic has wrought. Becoming accustomed, however, is not the same thing as giving up; becoming accustomed still means taking simple precautions so that we do not have to live in perpetual fear.
We can adapt to living with all sorts of pathogens, including viruses. In fact, viral DNA helps arm our immune system by teaching our bodies how to recognize threats to our health. To live in harmony with viruses is to wash our hands, cover our mouth when we cough or sneeze, and mask when we are in crowded indoor environments. Vaccination can add another layer of protection. These simple, common sense preventive measures can help guard us against contracting many common respiratory illnesses.
It’s time to let go of our fear and to move forward with purpose. We now have a better understanding of the many viruses we encounter in our daily lives—we know how to minimize our exposure to them and respond to the threat they incur. No matter what happens in the future, we need to resolve to live our lives fully in the present, care for our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and relax a little since we are better able to cope with the viruses we incur in our daily lives.