Key Messages
How Viruses Have Been Helping Humans for Centuries: Exploring How Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science Can Keep Us Safe
Peek into the astonishing world of viruses with A Planet of Viruses by Anne E. Simon!
This book opens a portal into the mysterious and fascinating world of viruses, allowing us a rare glimpse at their incredible impact on our lives.
You’ll learn why the Romans rubbed their faces with mice, how viruses can save lives, and why Ebola is so hard to eradicate – all while coming to appreciate a deeper understanding of why we should be thankful for these seemingly destructive micro-organisms.
Plus you’ll gain insight into the ways in which viruses may be keeping other global dangers in check – something that could prove invaluable in a world as interconnected and fast-paced as ours.
Enter this astonishing new world for yourself today with A Planet of Viruses!
The Common Cold: An Ancient Nuisance We Still Haven’t Defeated
The common cold has been a source of frustration for humans for thousands of years.
The symptoms described in the 3,500-year-old medical text Ebers Papyrus match what we experience today: persistent coughs and runny noses.
This makes it clear that the common cold has been plaguing humanity for quite some time!
Humans have experimented with different remedies to try and defeat the cold over the centuries.
Ancient Egyptians were prescribed herbs, incense and honey to apply around the nose, while Romans believed rubbing a mouse around their nose was the way to go!
Some even came up with unusual explanations of what they thought was causing them to suffer—the Ancient Greeks believed imbalances in the four bodily fluids might be responsible.
But all this time it’s been caused by rhinovisus, which wouldn’t be discovered until much later.
In 1900 Leonard Hill posited that colds were caused by moving from hot air to cold air, while scientific research from the early to mid twentieth century uncovered its true cause.
The Peril of a Constantly Evolving Virus: Understanding the Deadliness of Influenza
Influenza is one of the most dangerous viral infections we face and it can be deadly.
In 2018, it resulted in 500,000 deaths worldwide.
It works by destroying the protective membrane lining a person’s airways, making them susceptible to pathogens present in the air they breathe; an illness with this degree of deadliness requires prevention and treatment strategies.
What makes influenza so dangerous is that it’s not just one virus: there are many different types and they’re continuously shifting and evolving as they swap genes with one another.
This makes finding a reliable cure rather difficult.
But there is hope on the horizon!
Influenza viruses often travel from birds to humans, however simple habits such as hand-washing can reduce the risk significantly.
We must never forget how deadly this virus can be and remain vigilant against its ever-changing forms – influenza will continue to surprise us if we don’t stay alert.
Believe It or Not, Viruses Can Be Good: How Bacteriophages and Endogenous Retroviruses Help Protect Us
Viruses play an integral part in our survival, some of which may surprise you.
Take bacteriophages for instance – these viruses have the ability to cure diseases, contrary to what you may think!
Discovered by Canadian-born doctor Felix d’Herelle in the feces of French soldiers suffering from dysentery during World War I, bacteriophage were injected into patients as a treatment option.
Though it’s true that the idea of injecting live viruses puts many doctors off, this doesn’t take away from the importance of bacteria phages.
It even serves as protector of the water – every liter of seawater contains up to ten billion viruses and marine phages make up one half of them.
These phages destroy anywhere between 15-20% of bad bacteria each day, preventing cholera and other illnesses like it from spreading.
Another type of virus we should be thankful for is endogenous retroviruses.
These are generated within our bodies and contribute positively by inserting their genetic information into our DNA – when our cells divide, they replicate themselves shaping our genes too.
One particularly important one discovered in 1999 is HERV-W which produces syncytin – a protein essential for bonding cells in the outer layer of the placenta which allows us to carry children, making this virus crucial for human survival!
History Can Teach Us About the Future of Viruses and How to Combat Them
A knowledge of the past gives us invaluable insight when it comes to predicting future virus trends.
For instance, the HIV-1 virus has had devastating consequences for millions of people since it was first discovered in the 1980s.
By exploring how HIV-1 evolved and how it spread, scientists can uncover weaknesses in its structure and prepare more effectively for similar viruses in our future.
Similarly, lessons learned from the West Nile virus enable us to better understand mosquito-borne illnesses and anticipate their behavior as climates become warmer and wetter.
Without a clear understanding of where these viruses came from, we’d blindly be at risk without any knowledge on how to limit them or guard against them.
By looking back at major pandemics, researching historical transmission patterns, and investigating the evolution of pathogens, we are able to put ourselves in a better position for whatever may come our way in terms of viruses and diseases.
A knowledge of the history of viruses prepares us for our future with them.
We Can’t Predict When Deadly Viruses Will Strike – But We Can Prepare For Them
Virus epidemics are dangerously unpredictable, and as we saw with the Ebola outbreak in Guinea back in 1976 and the 2013 outbreak that spread to various countries, they can be quick to take hold and cause widespread destruction.
What’s even worse is that there’s no way of knowing when a virus will emerge.
Even if they appear to have vanished from human populations, they continue to circulate among wild animals, meaning there’s always a chance the virus could come back.
The advent of modern medicine has made us more prepared to fight viruses than ever before.
But it also means that scientists can now sequence DNA from scratch and even rebuild relatively simple diseases such as polio after studying their structure.
What this means is that viruses such as smallpox, which were once thought to be extinct, could potentially resurface if used as biological weapons in the future – a possibility too terrible to imagine.
Considering the unpredictability of viruses and their ability to rapidly spread across continents, it’s clear that we must remain vigilant about keeping them at bay at all times – and taking precautionary measures such as adhering to preventive treatments if a similar pandemic does occur in our lifetime.
Wrap Up
The final takeaway from A Planet of Viruses is that viruses have been part of human life since ancient times, and both good and bad can be said about them.
Through scientific research, we know more than ever before but can’t accurately predict when outbreaks might occur or how they may be used for evil in biological warfare.
To be properly prepared for the future, continued investigation into the world of viruses is essential.
Actionable advice includes remembering that antibiotics will not cure a cold for this very reason – because antibiotics are only effective in combating bacteria – and instead relying on bed rest, fluids, and vitamin C to treat a cold virus.
