Reference
COVID-19 is an RNA virus. A novel RNA virus. Note, DNA is stable and RNA is volatile in nature.
Novel viruses, come from animals.... the WHO 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) (bats in SARS & MERS). 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 sequence 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.
Sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human.
Possibly for years it’s 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. Depending on the
fashion of this new mutation, thats what determines how contagious, or
how deadly it’s going to 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. Coronavirus existed in animals only, for....nobody knows how long...but one day, at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. Initially only animals could give it to a person. But in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists term this quick ability, “slippery”
This Coronavirus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket because humans have no known immunity and doctors have no known medicines or vaccines for it. This particular mutated animal virus changed itself in such a way the way that it causes great damage to human lungs.
That’s why Coronavirus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza. This virus is slippery. And it’s a lung eater. It has already mutated AGAIN, so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain s, and strain L. This makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed. 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.
flattenthecurve. Stay home folks and share this with those that just aren't getting it.
Another interesting article about virus and evolution.
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. Coronavirus existed in animals only, for....nobody knows how long...but one day, at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. Initially only animals could give it to a person. But in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human. Scientists term this quick ability, “slippery”
This Coronavirus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket because humans have no known immunity and doctors have no known medicines or vaccines for it. This particular mutated animal virus changed itself in such a way the way that it causes great damage to human lungs.
That’s why Coronavirus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza. This virus is slippery. And it’s a lung eater. It has already mutated AGAIN, so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain s, and strain L. This makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.
We really have no tools in our shed. 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.
flattenthecurve. Stay home folks and share this with those that just aren't getting it.
Another interesting article about virus and evolution.
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