It is still unclear what the origin of this coronavirus are. Perhaps a bat (known vectors of this kind of virus) maybe a pangolin . Surely an animal. And it is still unclear how it spread around - but it was inevitable , people move around so much these days! Think of the number of people in airports every day, with something like 100,000 flights taking off and landing every day across the world. Think about the cruise ships, mixing people from different areas in an enclosed space, and moving then around. And it’s not just the movement of people but also it seems likely that virus particles might be able to stick to particulate matters in air .So, air pollution might have been a likely contributor. That’s maybe why some of the most industrialised places have been hit first (China, Lombardy and Veneto regions in Italy - right in the peak of some very bad air quality days)
Now , these are just correlations and maybe are speculative but they should really make us think. It is known and it has been said (perhaps not loudly enough) that habitat destruction could lead to diseases spreading. This paper describes very well the process, which j just summarise here: a more fragmented , interfered with habitat provides a good opportunity for diversification . This means faster evolution, more microbes and more microbes that could potentially spill over into humans . This should make us think. Think that we are indeed still nature and vulnerable to natural things. And it is indeed crucial to realise that we cannot continue like this. If the world wanted to teach us something, was to put us back in our place. Teach us that economy cannot come first, teach us that we should think of Earth as unity. Nature and humans are not two separate entities. We can invent all of the technology that we want, but as we are experiencing - it’s pretty useless when it comes to protect us (perhaps it’s helping in the keeping us connected, but also - i am craving some real connections and not just avoiding eye contacts and slaloming to maintain a wide safety distance with someone you pass on the street…). With this said, i really hope politicians are also thinking of this, and restart at a suitable pace. With us stuck at home, nature has taken back some of it’s places. Videos of dolphins close to shore, ducks laying eggs in the vaporetto mooring areas, more birds, fish coming back to the canals. Maybe we can restart with more respect…
3 Comments
Jackir
3/23/2020 06:45:02 pm
Very though provoking post. I've seen many local neighbours and colleagues adopt eco conscious habits, like driving less, walking more, ordering fresh food from local farms... hoping some of these habits stick long term 🙏🏻
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Thank you for this piece!
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