A Viral Awakening

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As I’m writing this, the world is reeling from the attack of yet another mysterious and deadly virus-the erstwhile 2019-nCov, now COVID-19. As the world watches the unfolding story from China, scientists are already at work, trying to develop potential vaccines and antidotes for this virus. Remarkably, a rapid screening test was promptly employed only within weeks of the outbreak and several vaccine candidates are being lined up to be tested in the coming months. A stellar testament to the power of modern science, such a moment calls for reflection to understand and perhaps reset societal priorities.

In a world which increasingly undermines intellectuals, knowledge and facts, it is important to reflect how moments of crises like this shine a bright light on the same people and institutions.
Most people around the world can afford to sleep peacefully and maintain normalcy in life because they implicitly trust the expertise of scientists, doctors and other institutions working around the clock to prevent this from ballooning into a worldwide pandemic. Yet this should not be taken for granted. Just less than a century ago, before the advent of antibiotics and most vaccines, the risk of death by microbial infections was widespread—an inescapable reality of human life. Vaccination is arguably the most important and effective life-saving intervention known to humankind; which makes the “Anti-Vax” agenda simply incredulous and mindbogglingly stupid! Perhaps in moments like these, people who support or even sympathize with this movement may get a glimpse of what modern society would look like without vaccines—constantly threatened by deadly microbes and frequently on the throes of serial global pandemics capable of causing serious damage to human life and well-being.

Our reaction as a species to this outbreak and the measures thereafter perhaps speak of another rather interesting duality of the human mind. While we are perfectly agreeable to the sanctions and economic costs from the precautionary measures at the onset of this outbreak, even a minimal disruption of the status quo for future crises that are imminent and inevitable, seems unthinkable (Yes, I’m talking about issues such as climate change). Like climate models, epidemiological models of the spread of infectious disease too, suffer from large variabilities and uncertainties. Yet, no arguments were made to undermine the validity of the potential danger, citing the inability to exactly predict the outcome. It boils down to immediacy and ubiquity. A viral pandemic is swift and indiscriminate. The opposite is true for issues like climate change. It is a slow and silent danger that is likely to affect some parts of the world way more than others.  We don’t have to all agree on the way forward with global problems like environmental pollution and climate change. These are inherently political questions that require robust debate over complex issues. But we can’t afford to come to the table in denial of the truth. Perhaps moments like these can help people realize the value of hard facts and expertise and rally them together to solve complex global problems.

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