Reacquaint Virus, This Strange Little Friend: 9 Misunderstandings About Virus

By Chier Hu

This book gives us a new understanding of virus. 

 

From the biological characteristics of virus, to the methods of human beings against virus, to the entangled and secret relationship between virus and human beings, I will use scientific consensus and broad vision to help you really understand virus.

 

 

 

0. Virus, a strange little companion.

 

In 2020, there seems to be a not-so-wonderful beginning. 

 

A sudden COVID-19 epidemic pushed the "virus" in front of everyone. 

 

We have to put on masks carefully, stay at home honestly, and genuinely feel "the horror of virus, the fragility of human beings, and the impermanence of life." 

 

From January to March 2020, before the epidemic was greatly brought under control, just this little novel coronavirus seemed to block all ways for humankind to survive. 

 

It seems to be everywhere, even on elevator buttons and doorknobs; it seems to mutate fast, and it is often said in the news that it has mutated again; 

 

it also appears to be challenging to protect, and it is said that it can be spread through droplets, feces to mouths, and even aerosols; 

 

at the same time, there is no vaccine, no specific medicine, and it seems that if you are infected, you can only accept your fate. 

 

As a result, in the eyes of many people, virus has become an evil thing; 

 

Many people on the Internet have called:

 

 "to prevent virus in their bodies from invading human beings, we must eliminate  all bats around the city." 

 

All kinds of information are coming everywhere, and of course, I understand your helplessness and panic. 

 

But a large amount of information in this is indeed a distortion, simplification, and misunderstanding for virus. 

 

Many people's understanding of virus is too one-sided. 

 

As a biologist, I hope you can see the real face of virus instead of making misjudgments in panic. 

 

What does a real virus look like? 

 

If you use one word to describe it, I think the most appropriate thing is-a strange companion of us.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

First of all, virus is bizarre. 

 

Not only is it different from all other life on Earth, but even all the laws we have summed up from other life phenomena will fail when it comes to viruses. 

 

Give a random example, such as the way of reproduction. 

 

We know that reproduction is a basic feature of life. 

 

But the way virus propagates is particularly strange. 

 

All living things on Earth use DNA molecules to store their genetic information. 

 

When organisms reproduce, they copy a copy of the DNA molecule and pass it on to their offspring. 

 

Each biological individual will use its own DNA molecules to produce the corresponding RNA molecules, and then make the proteins they need. 

 

The transmission of genetic information from DNA to RNA and then to proteins is the so-called "Central dogma" of biology. 

 

But this is not the case with viruses that record and use genetic information in a variety of ways. 

 

Some viruses, such as smallpox, like other life on Earth, still use DNA molecules as genetic material. 

 

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chier Hu
• Release date: Jun 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393718796

Book preview

0. Virus, a strange little companion.

In 2020, there seems to be a not-so-wonderful beginning.

A sudden COVID-19 epidemic pushed the virus in front of everyone.

We have to put on masks carefully, stay at home honestly, and genuinely feel the horror of virus, the fragility of human beings, and the impermanence of life.

From January to March 2020, before the epidemic was greatly brought under control, just this little novel coronavirus seemed to block all ways for humankind to survive.

It seems to be everywhere, even on elevator buttons and doorknobs; it seems to mutate fast, and it is often said in the news that it has mutated again;

it also appears to be challenging to protect, and it is said that it can be spread through droplets, feces to mouths, and even aerosols;

at the same time, there is no vaccine, no specific medicine, and it seems that if you are infected, you can only accept your fate.

As a result, in the eyes of many people, virus has become an evil thing;

Many people on the Internet have called:

to prevent virus in their bodies from invading human beings, we must eliminate  all bats around the city.

All kinds of information are coming everywhere, and of course, I understand your helplessness and panic.

But a large amount of information in this is indeed a distortion, simplification, and misunderstanding for virus.

Many people's understanding of virus is too one-sided.

As a biologist, I hope you can see the real face of virus instead of making misjudgments in panic.

What does a real virus look like?

If you use one word to describe it, I think the most appropriate thing is-a strange companion of us.

*

First of all, virus is bizarre.

Not only is it different from all other life on Earth, but even all the laws we have summed up from other life phenomena will fail when it comes to viruses.

Give a random example, such as the way of reproduction.

We know that reproduction is a basic feature of life.

But the way virus propagates is particularly strange.

All living things on Earth use DNA molecules to store their genetic information.

When organisms reproduce, they copy a copy of the DNA molecule and pass it on to their offspring.

Each biological individual will use its own DNA molecules to produce the corresponding RNA molecules, and then make the proteins they need.

The transmission of genetic information from DNA to RNA and then to proteins is the so-called Central dogma of biology.

But this is not the case with viruses that record and use genetic information in a variety of ways.

Some viruses, such as smallpox, like other life on Earth, still use DNA molecules as genetic material.

The influenza virus, HIV, and this time novel coronavirus can directly use RNA as genetic material.

And even these viruses use and replicate RNA differently.

Hepatitis B virus is even weirder. Although DNA is also used as genetic material, it merely changes the order when it replicates offspring. Instead of copying DNA, directly from DNA, it makes RNA, first and then DNA, in turn.

In short, almost as long as it is logically valid, there must be a virus using it to make offspring.

Do you think it's strange?

Also, all living things on Earth need continuous breathing, energy consumption, and interaction with the environment, and viruses can remain utterly silent outside the host cell;

all living things on Earth need to build a basic structure that can protect themselves, or at least a complete cell, and only viruses can borrow other people's homes.

*

But in contrast, strange creatures such as viruses have a close relationship with us, and they are completely old companions of human beings.

It sounds bizarre, but as long as I tell you a key fact, you will understand that

as many as 8% of the DNA fragments in the human genome actually come from viruses.

Of course, don't worry, these virus fragments have been destroyed and cannot reproduce new virus particles to reproduce in the human body.

But these fragments themselves have profoundly changed human genes, affecting not only the development of human embryos, the normal work of the immune system, but even the development of the human brain.

In other words, without virus, there would be no people like us now.

In fact, there are too many examples of viruses interacting closely with us.

Without virus, there might not be whole mammals, let alone people; it was virus that helped Europeans in the great voyage era occupy the American continent and the Australian continent and achieve world hegemony;

it was virus that influenced people's values and changed people's perception of health care and the organizational structure of the modern medical system.

In short, as a partner around us since the birth of human beings, viruses and human beings have gone through the ups and downs of evolution, profoundly affecting the formation of human species and the pattern of human civilization.

You say, isn't it an old friend of ours?

*

What enlightenment does the intertwined relationship between virus and humans give us?

I think there are at least three points—

First, never talk about victory.

As I just said, virus is in our bodies and around us.

We may be able to defeat one or two viruses and recreate the miracle of eliminating smallpox. Still, there is certainly no way to completely crush all viruses and completely isolate them from the human world.

Second, learn to understand and symbiosis.

Since virus has been around us for a long time and will exist around us and inside our body for a long time in the foreseeable future, we certainly can't ignore it but should learn to understand it and live with it.

Of course, for some viruses that can make people sick, we can prevent them from causing more harm to us through quarantine, vaccination, drug treatment, and the development of more effective ways.

But at the same time, we should also know that choosing to live with them may be the fate that human beings have to face.

The ecological environment of the Earth is so fragile that we can only