Why is the novel Corona virus different from the seasonal flu and what makes it so dangerous?
It has to do with RNA sequencing, ie: genetics.
Seasonal flu is an ?all human virus?. The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognized by the human immune system. This means that your body already has some immunity to it before it comes around each year. You acquire immunity in two ways - through exposure to a virus, or by getting your annual flu shot.
Novel viruses come from animals. The World Health Organization 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, birds in the case of the 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 genes inside the virus isn?t human, and the human immune system doesn?t recognize it so, we can?t fight it off. File not found.
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, thats what decides how contagious and 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. It?s RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.
Fast forward.
Now we are dealing with this Covel-19 ?Novel Corona? virus that existed in animals only for nobody knows how long. One day in December 2019 at an animal market in Wuhan China 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. Geneticists call this quick ability, ?slippery?
This Corona virus, or Covid-19, not being a ?human? virus where we would all have some natural or acquired immunity, took off like a rocket and, because humans have no known immunity, doctors have no known treatments for it.
Additionally it just so happens that this particular mutated animal virus changed itself in such a way the way that it may cause great damage to human lungs.
That?s why this novel Corona virus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza. This one is slippery monster that can attack lungs and respiratory functions. Worse, it?s already mutated AGAIN, so that we now 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 with this. 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.
During the Black Plague King Henry VIII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him until the disease had passed...(honestly...I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had nothing to fight it with except social distancing or isolation.
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 very uncool right now.
We have to ?flatten the curve?. Stay home folks and share this to those who are just not getting it. The only way we can avoid getting this is to avoid other people as much as possible.
The new ?First Responders? are the folks who work in the supermarkets, pharmacies, health care facilities along with public safety, police, firefighters and EMT/Paramedics. They are risking their health and lives for us. Be sure to thank them for doing this............
and thank you L.E.C.
