Hallucigenia wrote:odysseus2000 wrote:But as mentioned earlier in the thread there is evidence in the dna of humans of many interactions with virus & as we are still here is evidence of the resilience of humans.
We're resilient - but not invincible. Native Americans had had many interactions with viruses, yet it didn't stop them getting wiped out by smallpox and syphilis. Europeans had had many interactions with pathogens, but it didn't stop 30-60% of them getting wiped out by the Black Death.
It is the height of arrogance to think we're virus-proof, it's like being a dinosaur in the late Cretaceous thinking "well, us dinosaurs have been around for 175 million years, we're pretty resilient, we'll be around forever. Oooh - what's that light in the sky......?"
Retroviruses are fun, arguably their continued presence in our genomes represents an ongoing infection, which costs us in DNA replication. But that's another subject.
Yes, but it's the height of pessimism to shut down everyone's life because of a virus that is now being mastered. Had the shut downs happened as the pandemic spread they might have slowed things down, but the situation is now imho very different & it's clear as I see it, that the risks for people with potential dangerous susceptibility need to be addressed more than a complete shut down, with most at risk status being given enhanced help & those without being encouraged to behave sensibly.
This is sort of what is happening in the UK, whereas in some other countries draconian measures are being forced on the population without any obvious imho great improvement in out comes.
I certainly don't want covid so I steer clear of situations that I fear with lots of people and I take vitamin D & the most varied diet I can having had blood test results showing I was low on iron & b12 from being lazy & not eating well. I also know that there are lots of other things that I do which carry risk & I address these dangers with as much ppe as I can & by attempting to work safely.
At the back of my mind is the feeling that if I do catch covid that anti virals if the medics will communicate with me will likely help. My biggest fear is that I have another episode like last March when 13 steps left me gasping for breath & I eventually got a phone call from a medic about 3 weeks later when I had recovered.
One can go into all manner of theory & risk/reward analysis, but if you are sick & can't get help none of it matters.
This is becoming a hobby horse of mine, but I don't think the current medical system is fit for the 21st century. Medics can not imho offer what is needed. I believe an AI based system with implanted sensors and where ones medical history is stored on a block chain, with appropriate safeguards against illegal access, would be better. The system would know you, be upto date with your medical history & the latest medical knowledge & in many cases be able to treat someone at home. What we have now where information is asked dozens of times, different medics attend & the hospitals are places of increased infection belongs in the dustbin of history. I expect this to begin to happen in the next few years.
Regards,