2020.02.19 / Viewpoint

New Corona Virus in Simple Terms

From Spring till present the most commonly used greeting between friends is "hope all is well". Corona Virus has been one of the main conversation topic. The global media are always concerned about the number of confirmed cases, the number of deaths, the number of cures... Because of the lack of understanding of the new virus, many people are shrouded in fear. To have a vaccine we need to truly understand Corona virus first. Before the vaccine is officially released, we should have a basic understanding of Corona virus and by doing so able to protect ourselves better and reduce our fear. At present, Corona virus commentary video is the most interesting ones on YouTube. It is not only easy to understand, but also humorous.

Here are several videos about the virus to share with readers, and also hopes that everyone should not panic during the epidemic prevention, remember to wear masks, wash hands frequently, keep ventilated, pay attention to hygiene, keep a social distance and stay isolated at home.

01 The rise of Corona virus

Corona virus was not severe at the beginning. When did it become deadly?

[References]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

https://pansci.asia/archives/154836

God and nature: ingenious wisdom

Feedback in the videos, what we learn.

From DI TGIS

1. There is no vaccine for SARS. It's not because it's difficult to develop. At the time, Taiwan and the United States had entered the first phase of the vaccine trial, but the adverse spread of SARS disappeared when summer came and temperature increased. The relevant research therefore did not continue.

2. High does of steroids causes bone necrosis. In some studies, steroid treatment in SARS has not been effective. Even in MERS, they delay the removal of viruses by neutrophils. Therefore, the treatment guidelines for new Corona virus did not include the use of steroids.

From peteru4z06

The genetic material in the virus includes double strand DNA, single strand DNA, double strand RNA and single strand RNA.

The high variability of Corona virus is due to the instability of RNA molecule rather than the single or double strand.

From Yi CC & David W.

Yeasts are not bacteria but fungi.

Candida albicans is also a fungus.

02 Bat’s superior immunity

Bats carry many viruses, but they themselves are immune to them. Why is that?

[References]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43155827

https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/why-bats-make-such-good-viral-hosts-64251

https://www.newsweek.com/bat-dna-holds-doesnt-degrade-shows-secrets-long-life-801266

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/science/bats-reveal-genetic-basis-for-extended-lifespan-and-ability-to-resist-cancer-1.3920805

Feedback from the videos. What we learn.

From ChengJia

Some netizens replied to the incorrect part of C, for more details go to: https://disp.cc/b/163-c6qq, netizens' Summary:

1. The virus will also infect bats, so bats can spread to others.

2. Bats' body will automatically reduce their discomfort so they look all normal.

3. Many viruses are only "suspected" to be transmitted from bats.

4. The longevity of bats is related to their ability to fly. It is not related to gene repair.

5. The longevity of bats does not make the evolution of the virus faster and safer. The fast evolution is due to the fast immunity of bats.

6. Bats have higher virus tolerance, which is one of the small gains of their flying ability.

03 Is it possible for infectious diseases to be eliminated?

The history of humans against infectious diseases has lasted for thousands of years, and currently there is only one virus that has been overcome, that is, smallpox. How did humans overcome smallpox?

[References]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myxomatosis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smallpox

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syphilis

https://pansci.asia/archives/154836

神与物游:巧夺天工的智慧

God and nature: ingenious wisdom

From my lin

I'm a clinical scientist . Some of the views in the film are somewhat subjective,

1. Firstly, most decrease in virus mortality is due to the improvement of medical and health standards, or the virus with high mortality is likely to lose its host in a short time and thus be eliminated

2. There are many human countermeasures for virus. The vaccine is not only the active attenuated vaccine used for smallpox, but also many kinds of vaccine such as viroid vaccine, DNA recombinant vaccine, etc.

3. In fact, there are antiviral drugs that can treat the virus. Anti influenza drugs are the most common example, but the research and development of antiviral drugs are complex and difficult.

4. Smallpox is a DNA virus, not RNA...

5. Harmful bacteria and viruses do not actively coexist with the human body peacefully, so the medical community must constantly develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to fight against them. Modern medicine is the result of long-term efforts and efforts of the whole human being. It may be difficult to eradicate viruses, but we cannot give up, let alone think that pathogenic viruses will coexist peacefully with us. Modern medical standards are the results of a long history of hard work and dedication of human kind, not that the virus wanted to coexist with us peacefully.

From Joey Lin

Smallpox is a DNA virus, not a RNA transmission. The virus that "infects humans" did not drop its infectivity by itself. Viruses (especially RNA) are naturally mutated very quickly. The highly lethal virus eventually causes the host to die out and it naturally cannot survive, leaving only the less lethal virus to continue to spread. The same is true of the organism, the offspring that are more resistant to the virus will survive and leave the offspring that are less resistant, the most basic natural choice. This is why smallpox lethality is 10-30% in Europe while 90% in the Americas. Smallpox has a lethal rate of 10-30%, malignant smallpox is even as high as 90%, and the infectivity rate is comparable to influenza. On the other hand, it is a DNA virus, which means that it’s mutation is slower than RNA virus leading to a long term effect. In addition, if you check on rhinovirus which is the common cold virus, the prevalence rate is as high as 1/5 of the population. Average people in the world will get 3-5 times a year, and the infectivity is as high as 6-7 (currently only 1.6 after the Wuhan update, 2 for flu). This is a so-called perfect virus, causing cold symptoms but not deadly.

[Conclusion]

The unknown gives people fear. With several interesting videos, everyone can learn more of this new Corona virus and minimize overall panic. This incident affects the whole world, making us more aware that all human beings are a community of common destiny. No one can really stay out of it. I hope that everyone in the future can awe nature, respect life, protect the environment, and work together to maintain our planet.