The Coronavirus Pandemic: Homo- sapiens (Wise man) On “His” Knees
The Search For Answers and Reality Check of The Interdependence and “Separation of Powers” of The Inhabitants of Our Ecosystems
The staggering number of deaths caused by this brutal killer, COVID-19 across international borders and continents is indeed heartbreaking. For now, the outcome of this pandemic cannot be predicted with certainty. However, science and lessons from past pandemics can guide us as we tackle this formidable foe and hopefully, teach us ways to keep such invisible deadly pathogens at bay in the future.
How Do We Mitigate Pandemics?
On 03/25/2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in Bethesda, Maryland, USA appeared on CNN’s Chris Cuomo’s program. Regarding how long social distancing measures and shutdowns will stay in place, Mr. Cuomo said “it seems like the timeline is getting extended farther out, not that things are going better than expected anywhere.”
Dr. Fauci responded: “You’ve got to be realistic, and you’ve got to understand that you don’t make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline. So you’ve got to respond to what you see happen, and if you keep seeing this acceleration, it doesn’t matter what you say, one week, two weeks, three weeks, you’ve got to go with what the situation on the ground is”.
What a profound statement by Dr. Fauci. An invisible, pseudo-living virus, particle size ranging from 70–90 nm (Reference #1) dictating the timeline for the survival of billions of humanity?
In nation after nation, humanity is confined inside its shelters for weeks, and world leaders are searching for answers. The unexpected lethal power of a swift, furious, invisible pathogen, hitherto unknown to mankind, forcing most of us to take shelter. Those who refuse to obey risk paying the ultimate price — death.
Of course, Dr. Fauci’s statement can also apply to other viruses like the flu virus. However, if this particular virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is so deadly, then maybe the most prudent thing to do would be to avoid any contact with the “native” non-human host in the first place.
Although Dr. Fauci’s statement got the headline attention it deserved, it has sort of faded away, at least for now, as we struggle with our new reality. However, after this whole nightmare is over, hopefully soon, scholars and policy makers should revisit the statement.
Why should the statement be re-visited? Because it is arguably one of the most succinct summation of the interdependence and “Separation of Powers” between mankind and the other inhabitants of our ecosystems.
Dr. Fauci’s statement reminds us that we are very much dependent on fidelity to the boundaries of our “neighbors”, living organisms and non-living organisms, visible and invisible, gargantuan and microscopic. Neighbors near and far, on land, in the air and in deep and shallow waters.
Furthermore, contrary to conventional wisdom, we, Homo sapiens, currently about 7.7 billion are not the rulers of this Earth. Really? Are you serious? Yes, I am. Our perceived supremacy is not absolute. We can all be locked in en masse. It is happening with COVID-19 and it will happen again if we do not fundamentally alter our behavior.
No one group or segment of our very complex and heterogenous “Earthly family” is the absolute boss. This COVID-19 pandemic should remind us that flagrant and unfriendly encroachment by any group into the coveted space of any of the other groups will result in dire consequences.
Dr. Anthony Fauci who is a member of the White House Coronavirus task force has stated emphatically that all of China’s wet markets should be shut down immediately in light of the deadly global pandemic.
“It boggles my mind how, when we have so many diseases that emanate out of that unusual human-animal interface, that we just don’t shut it down,” Dr. Fauci told “Fox & Friends.” He continued; “I don’t know what else has to happen to get us to appreciate that”.
We have to leave the bats and other animals that scientists are fairly certain carry these potentially deadly viruses alone. Yes, there are millions of these viruses out there and many of them probably cause mild or moderate symptoms in human beings. However, some of them may be as potent or even more lethal than SARS-CoV-2 once they jump to humans.
With regards to potentially deadly viruses whose native hosts are known, for instance, bats, we should leave those hosts alone. We should not hunt them. We should not domesticate them. We should not bring them to open markets teeming with hundreds of people, whether the markets are in Asia or in any other continent. To continue this behavior is not only selfish, it is blatantly immoral.
Boundaries Imposed By Nature
Does it mean that we should not enjoy ourselves, eat meats, explore the universe or multiverse? Of course we should do these things. However, nothing in any human being’s activities, behavior and pursuits on this planet is limitless and without prohibition.
Now, some critics may say, wait a minute! After creating man and woman, didn’t God bless them and say unto them: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it … (Genesis 1: 28). Yes, that is true. But despite all the freedom that God gave man in the garden of Eden, there was one prohibition.
And the Lord God commanded the man saying; Of every tree of the garden, they mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. (Genesis 1: 16–17). In other words, do not play God.
Please note that I am not trying to establish a direct equivalence between the gravity of the disobedience of the Creator’s instructions in the garden of Eden with the fallout from the Coronavirus pandemic. Far from it.
The point I am making is that there are limits to human incursions, vis-a-vis our neighbors in the proverbial “garden of Eden” Earthly ecosystems. Contrary to what all the geniuses may think and what the popular culture may say, we do not have the freedom to do anything we want, especially when it comes to the relationships with our “neighbors” on this “one Earth”.
We cannot afford to roam nonchallantly across boundaries to feast on certain animals. Mother nature has imposed its prohibitions, whether we recognise it or not.
There is only one Earth where humans live, and can live at least for now. There is one open space for all of us and it behooves us to keep certain boundaries if we wish to reside in peace with our fellow organisms and pseudo-organisms. There is interdependence and separation of powers which if not respected will lead to dire consequences for the guilty party.
In addition to respecting these boundaries, the establishment of decent, modern and accessible healthcare system in every nation should be a priority for wise, compassionate, just and courageous world leaders. This should not be an ideological issue. It is a fight for humanity’s collective good and survival.
Yet Another Reminder: There Is Only One Human Race
Another lesson to be learnt from this humbling experience is this. We, about 7.7 billion of us are one body, one human race, in a tabernacle — the Human tent, — within a larger outer tabernacle — the tent of the Earth. We must fundamentally rethink how we view and relate to each other’s wellness and well-being. This reflection should take place at the personal, national and continental levels.
One thing we should all know is that once these viruses jump from their native hosts to humans, they only recognize their new host and victim as “Homo sapiens”. Thus, the Coronavirus is totally oblivious to the new host’s skin color, status, power, wealth, ethnicity, nationality, age and yes, your gut feelings about the virus. Hopefully, as most of us hunker down at home, this humbling experience imposed by an invisible microscopic lethal foe will force us to pause and reflect by prayers, meditation or both on the oneness of humanity. In other words, “We are all in this together.”
As governments across the globe wrestle with the containment and eventually the defeat of COVID-19, there is another major lesson. The superiority of science over ideology and “gut feelings” in times of healthcare crisis. The leaders who listen to, and follow the advise of the scientists will save far more lives in their states and countries than those leaders who do not.
Regarding the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people, it is clear that those at the bottom and even some members of the middle class will be wounded most. Should there be a fundamental rethinking of the structure and vision of some national governments in its delivery of healthcare services to the people? Absolutely.
The enormous disparity in accessibility to decent healthcare between different populations within some of the nations of the world will significantly affect the outcome in symptomatic patients. Those communities at the bottom of the ladder would suffer most, and experience the highest mortality because of the baseline health status disparity.
This is a big challenge for world leaders as they collate the lessons learnt after this COVID-19 pandemic is all over, hopefully soon. Solving this problem is not going to be easy because of factions, ideological and economic within the political system in each nation pulling in different directions.
While this would be a major concern for the developed nations, the profundity increases exponentially in the developing countries. For the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world, the challenge will be even more daunting.
Following decades of woeful leadership, mammoth corruption, unfathomable greed, conflicts and wars, Sub-Saharan Africa, with its extremely fragile healthcare systems would suffer catastrophic consequences in the face of major epidemics and pandemics.
Therefore, this COVID-19 pandemic is another wake -up call for the leaders of the nations of Sub-Saharan Africa to put their nations first before self. The endemic corruption must abate. The leaders must utilize the enormous natural and human resources of their nations to build first class infrastructure and develop their countries from within. The leaders must shed the culture of dependency on other segments of the human race. Time is running out.
The Best of The Human Spirit
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the first responders, the nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, laboratory technicians and other healthcare professionals who are at the eye of the storm in this war against COVID-19. Their heroic service and sacrifice should never be forgotten.
The selflessness of these heroes who have demonstrated their true love by putting their lives on the line have shown us the true meaning of life. By their actions, they invite us to a higher calling, i.e. selfless service, sacrifice and meaningful life beyond self.
In his great book: Man’s Search For Meaning, the late psychiatrist and psychologist, Dr. Victor Frankel, a survival of the Nazi Death camps provides a brief account of one of the darkest events in human history. In the section titled: “The essence of Existence”, he writes:
“Being human always points , and is directed to something or someone other than self — be it a meaning to fulfill or another human being to encounter. The more one forgets himself — by giving himself to a cause to serve, or another person to love — the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself”. (Reference #2).
Food for thought for all of mankind as we reflect and recalibrate our lives, post COVID-19.
The heroes of this COVID-19 pandemic, the first responders and all the medical professionals epitomize this “Essence of Existence”. We thank them.
References.
- Jeong-Min Kim et al: Division of Viral Diseases, Center for Laboratory Control of Infectious Diseases, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju, Korea: Identification of Coronavirus Isolated from a Patient in Korea with COVID-19: Osong Public Health Research Perspectives. 2020 Feb; 11(1): 3– 7.
2. Victor E. Frankl, Man’s Search For Meaning: Beacon Press, Boston, 2006; II, 110–111.
