All Plus Magazine, January 2020.
With the recent coronavirus outbreak dominating the news, fear
of its effects spread faster than the virus itself. A first step in controlling
such fear and being ready for outbreaks like this is to better understand what
viruses are. Here are some facts.
Basic Facts.
First of all, most biologists say viruses are not alive. Viruses are not made
of cells and can't grow or make energy. They are more like just chemicals if
they don't have a host. The word virus,
appropriately, comes from a Latin word for "poison" or "slimy liquid," both of which are
fitting descriptions. It's important to note that most known viruses are not a
threat.
Ancient viruses
returning. Climate change is melting ice that has been frozen for thousands
of years. As it melts, the ice can release viruses and bacteria that have been
gone for centuries, viruses that can be deadly. Just this January, for example,
scientists reported finding twenty-eight viruses in an ice sample taken from a
glacier in China. Making all this scarier, viruses can get swept up into the
atmosphere and travel thousands of miles before falling back to the earth.
Viruses from animals.
Viruses can jump from animals to
humans. In fact, the coronavirus is believed to have originated in a seafood market in Wuhan.
Still, viruses are most-commonly spread by the bites of mosquitoes and ticks,
and by birds, which carry viruses such as avian influenza (bird flu). In many
places, governments spray pesticides to control mosquitoes and outbreaks, and monitor
for dead birds. People are also warned not to leave standing water outside.
A mystery virus.
Scientists searching for viruses in Brazil have discovered one they can't
identify. It has genes that no one has ever seen. They named it Yaravirus,
after Yara, "the mother of the waters" in Brazilian mythology.
Without similar viruses to compare it with, it is difficult for them even to study it.
Virus stress.
People around the world can suffer from epidemics even if they're uninfected.
Round-the-clock news coverage can cause stress, depression, and an
increase in metal health problems. While
the media is essential for spreading information about outbreaks, it can be
disturbing, especially when loaded with dramatic footage of empty streets and overfilled
hospitals. Researchers say people should limit their intake of news. They say
to get the science, but skip the sensational reporting.
John Sailors, Writing Sample
This article was
written for All Plus magazine, April issue, LiveABC, Taipei. LiveABC
publications are sold in Asia (in China, Japan, Korea,
Thailand and Vietnam), North America, Latin America, and Europe. Partners include
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