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If we look at the broader problem with infectious disease, it seems most have their origin in our relation with animals: too many animals, in bad living conditi
by cies 6y ago
If we look at the broader problem with infectious disease, it seems most have their origin in our relation with animals: too many animals, in bad living conditions, mingling with humans.
The solution seems to be: stop using animals for our food/pleasure/clothing/medicine.
We knew this before C19. But sadly the solutions is most advertised are: more virus research labs (which also needs animals), more vaccines, more distancing... These are not actual solutions.
- toolz 6y agoAlternatively, maybe we should mingle with animals more often such that novel viruses are common enough that we experience them with far more cross-reactive immunity than we did with covid. I'm of the opinion we have a long way to go before our primary defense against viruses is _not_ our immune system. If I'm correct I think many of our strategies to limit exposure and pretend we can hide from pathogens is very misguided.
- TheBigSalad 6y agoViruses are not healthy for you.
- toolz 6y agoThat's simply not true at all. There are beneficial viruses, but that isn't my point to begin with. My point is that viruses are unavoidable. That being the case you want to experience many endemic viruses to boost your immunity rather than a once a decade pandemic inducing virus.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- rswail 6y agoWe haven't actually evolved to occupy an ecological niche that has us "mingling with" animals such as bats. This is not something we can "breed into" ourselves. Our primary strategy to limit exposure is to not have contact with animals with novel coronaviruses or others that can cross species. So we have to rely on our immune systems as our primary protection. Vaccines, theraputics, and public health measures are the only other strategies we have.
- toolz 6y agoThis is not correct, many regions regularly hunt and eat bats.
- harimau777 6y agoWe could definitely do a lot better, but currently we don't have good alternatives to animals for food/pleasure/clothing/medicine.
- cies 6y agoVegans world wide beg to differ. Put a heavy meat tax and see how the market responds.