The first thing I thought of when I read coronavirus was carnivorous. In a way viruses are carnivorous because they attack mammals but that is not what coronavirus means…

Like humans, viruses have an evolutionary line which means they come from a ‘family’, genus and order. These categories and many more are used to define a species. The behaviour of the virus: the way it is spread from body to body, the symptoms it causes is used to define it too. In this case, a coronavirus is a virus that inhabits mammals such as cows, birds and humans. It’s symptoms range from diarrhoea to respiratory failure. This means the disease can be transferred from animal to human and have differing symptoms. The viral outbreak in China is under this family (Coronaviridae) and originated from an animal.

Another example of this type of virus is the SARS outbreak in 2003, which caused severe respiratory difficulties and was initially found in bats. Diseases like this can be very dangerous in highly populated areas such as China or New York. The Ebola virus and the flu virus are also both deadly examples. Although the public perceive Ebola to be far worse than the flu, there is not scientifically much difference. This is something, I think, that is clearly addressed in the Netflix Documentary series ‘Pandemic’.

The Ebola virus can be prevented quite easily, with a simple vaccination. The problem with Ebola was and still is economic. African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo are underfunded so they can not give everyone a vaccination. Every person without a vaccination acts as a potential accent for the virus to spread. If we want to irradiate the virus we aim for herd immunity which is safer: prevention is better than cure.

The flu virus is worse in some ways. The flu virus mutates every year. Our immune systems that are trained by a vaccination to defend our bodies are no longer useful. This is why Americans are advised to get the flu vaccine every year. I find that terrifying. The flu can be responsible for hundreds of deaths but people do not think it is serious enough to go to the hospital about. Even worse than that, the flu can be spread by air; coughing, sneezing or even breathing. This makes it very easy to spread and dangerous for the young, the old, the ill and the pregnant. Ebola, however, requires human-to-human contact which is far easier to contain and prevent.

I have only been learning GCSE Biology level but I have a basic understanding of the implications a virus can have on a population. Populations can significantly decline, the economy can be effected and there is an emotional toll. I also understand that diseases can be prevented through vaccinations, simple hygiene and sufficient funding. The current crisis in China, which is now spreading worldwide, has allowed my theoretical knowledge in the classroom to be utilised in practical terms. I have only now consciously recognised the relevance of biology in the real world, and hope to continue this fascination in future posts.

Saturday 25th January 2020