Feeling confused as to why Corona virus is a bigger deal than Seasonal flu? Here it is in a nutshell. It has to do with RNA sequencing......i.e. genetics.
Seasonal flu is an "all human virus". The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognised by the human immune system. This means that your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year.....you get immunity two ways.....through exposure to a virus or by getting a flu shot.
Novel viruses come from animals.....the WHO tracks novel viruses in animals (Sometimes for years watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs, in the case of H1N1 and birds, in the case of Spanish Flu). But once, one of these animal viruses mutates and starts to transfer from animals to humans......then it's a problem. Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity......the RNA sequencing of the sequencing of the genes inside the virus isn't human and the human immune system doesn't recognise it so, we can't fight it off.
Now.....sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human, for years its only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so that it can now transfer human to human......once that happens.....we have a new contagion phase. And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, that's what decides how contagious or how deadly it's gonna be....
H1N1 was deadly.......but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. Its RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.
Fast forward.
Now, here comes this Corona virus......it existed in animals only for nobody knows how long.....but one day, at an animal market in Wuhan, China in Dec 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. At first, only animals could give it to a person.....but here is the scary part.....in just two weeks it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability, "slippery".
This Corona virus, not being in any form a "human" virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket. And this was because, Humans have no known immunity......doctors have no known medicines for it.
And it just so happens that this particular mutated virus, changed itself in such a way that it causes great damage to human lungs......
That's why Corona virus is different from seasonal flu or H1N1 or any other type of influenza......this one is slippery. And it's a lung eater.....And it's already mutated again, so that we have two strains to deal with - strain s and strain L......which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed. History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics. Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish flu.
Factoid. Henry VII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him till the Black Plague passed....(honestly, I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation.
And let me end by saying......right now it's hitting older folks harder.......but this genome is so slippery.....if it mutates again (and it will). Who is to say, what it will do next.
Be smart folks.....acting like you're unafraid is not sexy right now.
Stay home folks......and share this with those that are just not catching on.
Tailpiece.
Got up on the dot. We wished my sister, Rema, many happy returns as today is her birthday. Both Suma and Jaya were in attendance today. It was a very warm day!
Seasonal flu is an "all human virus". The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognised by the human immune system. This means that your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year.....you get immunity two ways.....through exposure to a virus or by getting a flu shot.
Novel viruses come from animals.....the WHO tracks novel viruses in animals (Sometimes for years watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs, in the case of H1N1 and birds, in the case of Spanish Flu). But once, one of these animal viruses mutates and starts to transfer from animals to humans......then it's a problem. Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity......the RNA sequencing of the sequencing of the genes inside the virus isn't human and the human immune system doesn't recognise it so, we can't fight it off.
Now.....sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human, for years its only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so that it can now transfer human to human......once that happens.....we have a new contagion phase. And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, that's what decides how contagious or how deadly it's gonna be....
H1N1 was deadly.......but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. Its RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.
Fast forward.
Now, here comes this Corona virus......it existed in animals only for nobody knows how long.....but one day, at an animal market in Wuhan, China in Dec 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. At first, only animals could give it to a person.....but here is the scary part.....in just two weeks it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists call this quick ability, "slippery".
This Corona virus, not being in any form a "human" virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket. And this was because, Humans have no known immunity......doctors have no known medicines for it.
And it just so happens that this particular mutated virus, changed itself in such a way that it causes great damage to human lungs......
That's why Corona virus is different from seasonal flu or H1N1 or any other type of influenza......this one is slippery. And it's a lung eater.....And it's already mutated again, so that we have two strains to deal with - strain s and strain L......which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed. History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics. Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish flu.
Factoid. Henry VII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him till the Black Plague passed....(honestly, I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation.
And let me end by saying......right now it's hitting older folks harder.......but this genome is so slippery.....if it mutates again (and it will). Who is to say, what it will do next.
Be smart folks.....acting like you're unafraid is not sexy right now.
Stay home folks......and share this with those that are just not catching on.
Tailpiece.
Got up on the dot. We wished my sister, Rema, many happy returns as today is her birthday. Both Suma and Jaya were in attendance today. It was a very warm day!
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