Does the food we eat affect our mental health? INtroduction We grow up not only learning from our teachers about depression and anxiety but also witnessing how it can affect the people we love. Whether that knowledge started from a Google slides presentation in health class or watching our loved one’s mental health suffer, we have all had to learn how to support each other. From this first-hand knowledge, I grew curious about the different factors that affect depression and how much of this disease is in our control. In this article, I will discuss the relationship between gut microbiota and depression, and how depression could be treated through dietary changes. What is depression? Depression is a long-term relapsing mood disorder that incites feelings of sadness or apathy. It can lead to anxiety, unexplained physical problems like headaches, and overall exhaustion (Cui). The disorder can stem from numerous causes including family history of depression, difficult stressful experiences (like abuse or the death of a loved one), or even a lack of sunlight (like in the winter months). Biologically, depression causes nerve signals to travel increasingly slow and modulates important chemicals like serotonin and cortisol. It also pushes the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity, which oversees the bodies stress response, into overdrive (Bear, Dalziel and Coad). Microbiota interactions with the brain One influence that is gaining considerable interest involves studying how the microbiota impacts our mental health. Recent studies have found that the microbiota plays a crucial role in influencing our brain chemistry and stress response in numerous ways including vagal nerve stimulation. The vagal nerve is a system of nerves that carries signals from our digestive system to the brain and back. It’s considered to be part of our central nervous system that oversees immune response, digestion, and even our heart rate. Our vagal nerve also modulates the nutrients we take from our food consumption, which effects our overall energy intake (See Figure 1). New findings have displayed that our vagal system can “sense [the] microbiota” and that stimulation of these nerves can have a tremendous impact on our overall mood (Breit, Kupferberg and Rogler). Since the vagal nerve affects our energy levels and our mood, it could also affect our emotional well-being. The feelings of sadness or apathy associated with depression could be explained by specific signals from our vagal nerve. The intestinal microbiota performs many functions for us, including metabolizing the food we eat and the production of various vitamins and molecules that we need. Interestingly, some of these molecules directly influence our brain by connecting our emotional centers of the brain with intestinal functions, making up the gut-brain axis (Carabotti, Scirocco and Maselli). Certain bacterial species, for example, can produce local neurotransmitters such as melatonin (which modulates the sleep-wake cycle), serotonin (which modulates mood), and dopamine (which modulates motivation), that are essential for our emotional well-being (Evrensel and Ceylan). Accordingly, dysbiosis in the microbiota can have a profound impact on the gut-brain axis. Dysbiosis is when the microbiota is in a communal state that leads to excess inflammation in the gut. This inflammation is marked by a systemic increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased intestinal permeability. Once systemic, these molecules can increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, which in turn, can stimulate parts of the brain into releasing cortisol, a known stress hormone (Clapp, Aurora and Herrera). As mentioned before, taxing situations and stress within the body can trigger depressive states. Thus, dysbiosis in the gut may lead to the incidence of depression. What is the solution? Considering the connection between the gut and the brain, novel methods of treating depression through diet are being studied. While the diet-microbiota field is relatively new, some researchers have found links between different diets and varied composition of the microbiota. For example, Western dietary patterns were found to promote gut dysbiosis and were associated with an increased prevalence in depression (See Figure 2). In a recent study, Western dietary practices predicted 39.8% of total depression incidence (Lang, Beglinger and Schweinfurth). Interestingly, on the other spectrum, adherence to a Mediterranean diet was shown to reduce inflammatory/pathogenic bacteria levels in the gut, while increasing the abundance of beneficial commensal species, which may in turn decreased inflammation (See Figure 2). Although the researchers did not specifically test for depression, these changes in the gut microbiota might be associated with decreased onset of depression. Additionally, vegetarian or plant-based diets reduce gut inflammation, promoting healthy gut interactions with the brain and possibly lessening the risk for the onset of depression (Bear, Dalziel and Coad). Conclusion Depression is a complex disease that is caused by many factors, including our intestinal microbiota. Diet may be one area that can help treat depression by influencing the composition of the gut microbiota and therefore the gut-brain axis. Diets that skew the microbiota into a healthy, and less inflammatory state, may lead to the production of crucial molecules (such as serotonin and melatonin) that can help us against the disease. BibliographyBear, Tracey LK, et al. "The Role of the Gut Microbiota in Dietary Interventions for Depression and Anxiety." Advanced Nutrition (2020). Article. Breit, Sigrid, et al. "Vagus Nerve as a Modulator of the Brain-Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders." Frontiers in Psychiatry (2018). Review. Carabotti, Marilia, et al. "The gut-brain axis: interactions between enteric microbiota, central and enteric nervous systems." Annals of Gastroenterology (2015). Review. Clapp, Megan, et al. "Gut microbiota's effect on mental health: the gut-brain axis." Clinics and Practice (2017). Article. Cui, Ranji. "A systematic review of depression." Current Nueropharmacology 13.4 (2015). Editorial. Driver, Kate. Leaky gut and the gut brain connection. 16 September 2016. Blog Article. 24 August 2020. Evrensel, Alper and Emin Mehmet Ceylan. "The Gut-Brain Axis: The Missing Link in Depression." Clinical Psychopharmacology and Nueroscience (2015). Review. Lang, Undine E., et al. "Nutritional Aspects of Depression." Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry (2015). Review.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
6 Comments
Why does the elderly face a higher mortality rate with COVID-19? introduction For almost half a year now, COVID-19 has dramatically changed our daily routines, whether that be switching to getting groceries delivered to our front doorsteps to choosing outdoor seating at a new restaurant. In my family, we are very careful about meeting with anyone outside of our immediate home because we don’t want to risk the health of my immunocompromised family members. Instead of going in to work, my mom chose to telecommunicate with her patients. Instead of buying groceries every week, we’ve changed all of our recipes so that we can only buy things once a month. All of these changes terrified me at first until I talked to my older relatives and recognized all of the precautions they had to take as well. With this in mind, I started wondering why certain people’s immune system, specifically the elderly, are more susceptible to COVID-19 and severe complications from the disease. In this article, I will discuss how aging affects the immune system and why that is a key player in the high elderly mortality rates with COVID-19. How does our immune system work? Our immune system identifies dangerous things that can hurt us and mounts protective defenses to neutralize the threats. Certain cells in our body have specialized receptors that can sense different features on an invader (like harmful viruses.) For instance, the family of receptors known as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) can sense viral RNA (Mueller, McNamara and SinClair). Once these specialized cells recognize a foreign object, it incites a cascade of events. The cycle begins with inflammation in which chemicals and cytokines, proteins that cause the recruitment of other immune cells, are released. After this siren call, certain immune cells, like B and T cells, will replicate. Finally, antibodies or specialized T cells are produced to kill the foreign invader. However, the immune system and its functions can be altered by different factors like our age, sex, and/or prior exposure to different diseases. How does the immune system decline with age? Immunosenescence is a new concept in immunology that focuses on understanding how our immune system declines as we age age. As a whole, aging decreases our immune system’s overall effectiveness and limits its ability to serve as a pathogen alert system. For instance, the thymus, an important organ where T cells go to mature, is a victim to immunosenescence. With age, the thymus physically shrinks which decreases the amount of mature T cells being produced in our bodies. With fewer mature T cells, the body can’t effectively respond to disease-causing pathogens thus allowing easier entry for viruses like COVID-19 (Kadambari, Klenerman and Pollard). Since the immune system is the body’s first defense against COVID-19, weaker immune systems could correlate with more severe cases of this dangerous disease. How does immunosenescence impact COVID-19 severity? COVID-19 is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that infects individuals through the ACE-2 receptor, a receptor found throughout the body. Sadly, 74% of fatal cases of COVID-19 are in patients aged 65 and above, suggesting age may play a significant role in COVID-19 severity (See Figure 1). In most cases, mortality is caused by organ failure stemming from excessive inflammation that occurs in a phenomenon known as cytokine storms (Viana, Nunes and Reis). Cytokine storms are when immune cells produce excessive amounts of pro-inflammatory proteins, known as cytokines, that trigger excess inflammation in major tissues and organs. Notably, 82% of elderly patients suffering from a cytokine storm succumbed to the disease (See Figure 2). While many factors are being studied as to how these storms are triggered, the top suspect is pre-existing inflammation caused by immunosenescence or gut dysbiosis (Mueller, McNamara and SinClair). Thus, older patients are naturally at risk for poorer outcomes of COVID-19. Possible Solutions To prevent the elderly from facing harsher cases of COVID-19 through the immune system and gut health, scientists are looking at a myriad of possible therapeutics. To target the aging immune system, geroprotectors could be utilized. Geroprotectors are molecules that target aging by regulating cellular metabolism and controlling certain immune factors, such as the production of cytokines (Mueller, McNamara and SinClair). By controlling these key functions, Geroprotectors could prevent an uncontrolled cytokine storm and promote healthy immunoreactions to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. As we talked about in my first article, the ACE-2 receptor plays a role in gut homeostasis and is targeted by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Interestingly, the ACE-2 receptor’s protective functions from the SARS-CoV-2 virus are also suppressed with age, worsening gut dysbiosis and the severity of the disease. To target this and intestinal inflammation caused by the virus, soluble ACE2 or treatments to upregulate ACE2 expression may be utilized (Viana, Nunes and Reis). Finally, prebiotics or probiotics could be used to prevent intestinal inflammation or leakage since the gut microbiota also changes with age. Prebiotics are substrates that are selectively used by microbes in order to increase health. For example, certain prebiotics might shift the microbiota community in order to increase the population of good bacteria that are less inflammatory. Whereas probiotics are bacterial species that are ingested in order to shift the community towards a less inflammatory state or are ingested so that they can produce anti-inflammatory molecules (Viana, Nunes and Reis). ConclusioN As COVID-19 continues to spread across the world, scientists and doctors are rushing to find different avenues to not only prevent infections from happening, but also reduce the severity and risk of complications for those who contract the disease. Unfortunately, our elderly are predisposed to suffering complications from the disease and are most likely to wind up in hospitals and on ventilators. This may be due to numerous factors, including immunosenescence. By treating the aging immune system and preventing other issues such as gut dysbiosis, we might be able to better treat the elderly. BibliographyKadambari, Seilesh, Paul Klenerman and Andrew J. Pollard. Why the elderly appear to be more severly affected by COVID-19: The potential role of immunosenescence and CMV." Wiley (2020). Review. Liu, Yang, et al. "Association between ages and clinical characteristics and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019." European Respiratory Journal (2020). Research. Mueller, Amber L., Maeve S. McNamara and David A. SinClair. "Why does COVID-19 disproportionately affect older people?" AGING 12.10 (2020). Viana, Sofia D., Sara Nunes and Flavio Reis. "ACE2 imbalance as a key player for the poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients with age-related comorbidities - role of gut microbiota dysbiosis." Ageing Research Reviews (2020). Review.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Can gut therapy save lives? Introduction Following its first outbreak in wet markets, COVID-19 has remolded modern-day society. It has transformed lives across the world including those of healthcare workers, grocery store baggers, teachers, as well as students. With the re-opening of schools just around the corner, we are looking at a drastically different school environment compared to that of a year ago. We, as students, must scramble to adapt to online learning without physical guidance from our teachers. Instead of looking forward to school dances or sporting events, we must sit for hour long classes facing computer screens. With all of these changes, I grew interested in understanding COVID-19 and how it impacts our bodies. In this article, I will explain what COVID-19 is and discuss how the disease might be impacting our guts and how gut therapy could combat this disease. What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus belonging to the Coronaviridae family of viruses. This variant emerged in late-December 2019 in Wuhan, China, allegedly from human contact with infected-pangolins sold in the Huanan Seafood Market. Since the initial infection, COVID-19 has caused approximately 852,000 deaths worldwide, with over 182,000 deaths in the United States alonea. Biologically, scientists have discovered that the novel coronavirus shares 94.6% sequence identity between its replication domains and similar regions seen in viruses responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome, otherwise known as SARS (Jin, Yang and Ji). Like SARS, COVID-19 causes vascular issues and can lead to respiratory failure, especially in immunocompromised people and the elderly. Although COVID-19 causes respiratory issues, SARS-CoV-2 has been found in feces of infected people, suggesting that the virus can travel through the gastrointestinal tract. This finding may suggest SARS-CoV-2 impacts gut health and the resident microbiota that lives there. What is the gut microbiota? Our gastrointestinal tract is home to billions of beneficial microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and various viruses, that are collectively known as the “microbiota.” These microbes perform important functions like aiding in digestion of the foods we eat and production of the vitamins we need. Interestingly, some of the most studied functions of the microbiota include its ability to control immune cells and systematic inflammation which includes inflammation in our respiratory system (He, Wang and Li). Though the research is still novel, COVID-19 and the microbiota may be linked through the angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 receptor, ACE-2, which impacts the body’s response to a virus and can control inflammation. COVID-19 and the ACE-2 receptor ACE-2 is an enzyme receptor that is exhibited throughout the body and is also the site where COVID-19 binds to human hosts in order to replicate, destroy healthy cells, and spread. Interestingly, the ACE-2 receptors present in the human intestine are needed for the expression of B0AT1, which leads to the production of peptides that fight off disease causing pathogens (He, Wang and Li). Thus, ACE-2 indirectly affects the susceptibility of the gut microbiota to dangerous pathogens and the overall composition of the gut. Since depleted microbiota composition can lead to systematic inflammation, COVID-19 might be impacting the gut microbiota. Conversely, the gut microbiota could be targeted to treat COVID-19. Gut therapy By targeting the gut microbiota, scientists may be able to prevent secondary infections of COVID-19 or decrease the severity of the initial infection. Specifically, probiotics, live microbes that are taken orally, could be studied for their effect on COVID-19. Since probiotics can modulate the human gut microbiota, some scientists hypothesize they can be used to impact systemic inflammation or control potential pathogens that emerge in the gut due to COVID-19 (Akour). An alternative to probiotics may involve replacing entire communities of the microbiota through fecal-microbiota transplantations (FMTs.) Replacing “inflammatory” communities with “anti-inflammatory” species could potentially alleviate COVID-19 symptoms by decreasing overall inflammation (He, Wang and Li). Gut therapy and viruses It is important to stress, nevertheless, that while targeting the gut microbiota may lessen the severity of COVID-19, this idea has not been definitively proven in any clinical trial or study. Yet, there is evidence that viral diseases can be treated through the microbiota. One study, for example, showcased how probiotic Lactobacillus lactis JCM 5805 fought off the pathogen responsible for influenza. It did this by helping stimulate immune cells that control viral replication such as plasmacytoid dendritic cells (Akour). Thus, scientists may hypothesize that probiotics and gut therapy would also benefit other respiratory diseases like COVID-19. Discussion COVID-19 is a respiratory / vascular-disease that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives worldwide. Current understanding suggests the virus enters cells via the ACE-2 receptor, which is found throughout the body including the intestine. As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, we are trying to find various treatment options for the disease. One ongoing field of study is probing the impact of the microbiota on COVID-19 disease severity. While there isn’t much direct evidence of probiotics or gut-targeting therapeutics being helpful in combating COVID-19, there are previous studies that have shown probiotics as efficacious in treating other respiratory viral infections. It will be interesting to see if future therapies will include microbiota transplantation or probiotics like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. Footnotes: a —As of September 2nd , 2020 References Akour, A. "Probiotics and COVID-19: is there any link?" Applied Microbiology (2020). Review Article. He, Yu, et al. "Main Clinical Features of COVID-19 and Potential Prognostic and Therapeutic Value of the Microbiota in SARS-CoV-2 Infections." Frontiers in Microbiology (2020). Review. Jin, Yuefei, et al. "Virology, Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Control of COVID-19." Pathogenesis of Human and Animal Coronaviruses (2020): 3. Review. Disclaimer: This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
With rumors flying about the spread of COVID-19 to livestock and how packed grocery stores have become, many have been forced to adapt and learn how to last longer with the food they already have. In my household, we rely on batches of curry and rice which can last a couple of days. Our pantry always has some staples like rice, quinoa, flour, various varieties of dried legumes. This is in contrast to our refrigerator, which now houses less meat, dairy and eggs. So when these food groups are available, they are consumed with more thoughtfulness as grocery shopping has decreased from weekly to bi-monthly. This new caution that I had to take with what I was eating and having to consider portion sizes initially made me anxious, as I was privileged enough to not have to worry about that before. However, I know that this kind of caution is commonplace for some families. I also know that there was a time when everybody was forced to ration their food, often in stricter ways: The Great Depression. I hope that this egg-less and dairy-free recipe provides some peace of mind and joy in your kitchen. First, gather your ingredients.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, pour your mixture into an available pan (though a 8x8 cake pan is preferable.) Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Make sure to shoot me an email if you try this recipe! Sincerely, Sarah Sources:
What is the essence of life? To serve others and do good
- Aristotle
Aristotle's words still ring true 2300 years later. Especially in times like these where everything seems uncertain, donating your time to others is especially valuable. From helping out your family to fostering change in underdeveloped countries, there are so many ways that you can volunteer while still staying safe at home.
First, you can help out isolated elderly. Older generations are at a much higher risk during this pandemic and helping them feel safe and happy during quarantine is imperative. You could do start to do this by calling an elderly relative. If you hate calling people on the phone (like me), here are some ideas to foster good conversation: ask about their day, ask about recipes in the family that you could cook together online, ask about other family members, tell them about important milestones in your life.
Additionally, if you don't mind calling people, you could reach out to elderly outside of your family through Calling Care. Calling Care is a service in which volunteers call isolated elderly. Volunteers make sure their charges are healthy and just have good conversation with them.
Secondly, as the United States economy slows and sick patients pile up, both local essential businesses and hospitals need your help. You can help those working the front line and exposing themselves to COVID-19 every day by making goodybags for the nurses at your local hospital. You can make cards for your local firestation; their jobs haven't stopped and they continue to risk their lives to save others. You can buy a giftcard from your local restaurant. Local restaurants need support as their customer base is nearly all gone.
Here's an example of a nurse who created Relief Goodbags for other nurses working with COVID-19 patients
Thirdly, you can volunteer with United Nations Volunteers. The United Nations has long promoted peace and development through volunteerism. According to Vincenzo Aquaro, who works in the UN department of social and economic affairs, "online volunteers provide an excellent service to the UN, but also [gain] significant knowledge and experience, making it a win-win situation." The UN volunteer initiative allows volunteers to pick out their skills, whether it be writing or even project development and management. After that, they can then choose projects under that skill. For instance, one project under the writing and editing skill was volunteering to proofread a training guide for UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research.) Each project has a time stamp of the estimated amount of time it would take to finish.
Fourthly, you can promote global change through Amnesty International. Amnesty International is a global movement dedicated to creating a world where everyone has equal rights. Volunteers can help online by looking at their take action page (linked below) which features situations around the world in which human rights are violated. With this new knowledge, volunteers can foster change by writing to Ministers of Justice, calling journalists, and spreading awareness of these situations themselves. For instance, in Greece, refugees on the islands are facing inhumane conditions. They are packed into camps with limited access to water and an increasing risk to the coronavirus. You can help by sending a message to the Prime Minister of Greece and urging him to ensure that these people have the supplies that they need. Finally, you can volunteer for ground-breaking research right at home with Zooinverse. Zooinverse is a platform for people-powered research that is made possible by volunteers who assist professional researchers. Through Zooinverse, you can volunteer on multitudes of different projects. For instance, if you're interested in biology, you can participate in a project called Bash the Bug, which fights resistance against antibiotics. You will have two tasks, both of which require you to identify which wells in a provided picture have bacteria growth. All of the tasks are pretty self-explanatory, but are also explained in depth through a tutorial sidebar. Bash the Bug: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/mrniaboc/bash-the-bug You can also volunteer as a beta tester. This means signing up to work through a beta project by checking for any bugs and filling out a questionnaire at the end. Additionally, you can volunteer as a project moderator. If you have a little more insight about a certain project, you can contact the project owner and moderate discussions about the project. You can become the contact for a certain project. I am so excited with how so many different outreach programs are adapting to work online, and I hope we can continue in this direction. As always if you try out any of these volunteer opportunities, make sure to send me an email as to how it went. I would love to hear your feedback! Sincerely, Sarah Mathew
Sources
During these times of isolation, it's still important to remain active and healthy. Exercise can serve as a great distraction and get your mind off the more difficult situations happening in the world right now.
1) Go outside for a walk/ run
We are still allowed to go outside, but it is important to take the proper safety precautions. Taking a break outside and relaxing is a great escape from the prison that your own home can become. If you've been feeling unwell and need a breath of fresh air, wear a mask when you go outside. Remember wearing a mask doesn't spell the end of the virus, and oftentimes it's not effective outside of crowded settings such as hospitals. When you go on your walk/ run, please remember to stay at least 6 feet away from others or fellow walkers/ runners. This is the best way to ensure your own safety. Safety is more important than manners in this situation, I promise! I use the app "MapMyWalk" and it tracks my route and walking statistics (like how fast I'm going for certain miles). After you return home, make sure to wash your hands and step into the shower. Even if you haven't been in contact with anyone or suspicious substances, it's always safe and washes off of that workout grime. According to Suzanne Willard, the associate dean at Rutger's University of Nursing, "you're [clothes are] OK if you've gone for a run or walk" and its not likely that your clothes have been contaminated. This just means you don't have to freak out and douse your clothes in every cleaning substance known to man. However, it's always safe to wash your clothes and wipe down your phone and/ or water bottle. Don't freak out and lose your cool!
2) Dance workouts
Dance is an amazing way to get your heart rate up and get some cardio into your workout. If you don't have young kids, or if this is just something you want to save for yourself, there are lots of dance workouts with popular songs online. In my case, I've always been a terrible dancer and wanted to use this time to better myself and learn a simplified version of choreo for the Jonas Brother's song "Sucker". Here's one dance exercise video that I love (I know it's meant for kids... I'm bad at dancing okay): If you end up doing this, make sure to shoot me an email or comment down below as to how it went! Also, if you want to occupy younger kids in your household there are so many fun dance videos that are suited for them on Youtube. Here's one that my family loves:
3) Household Chores
I know this sounds super boring, but this is the perfect opportunity to make your parents super happy or just try and do some damage control after your kids wrecked the house once again. Put on your favorite playlist (I always listen to Broadway playlists when I clean), and put yourself to work. Wipe down your counters, clean out your bathrooms, wipe down your mirrors. You can keep yourself active and safe at the same time!
4) Do an at-home workout
I've saved the most obvious answer for last of course. Don't fall into the mindset that you can't truly workout without all your favorite local gyms. There are so many great workouts that you can do without any gym equipment. There are so many amazing intense workouts on Youtube and even on fitness websites. On the MapMyWalk app that I mentioned above, possible workouts for this isolated time period (and without any equipment) are recommended frequently. Here are some exercise inspiration if you want to create your own workout to suit your needs:
- Cardio: mountain-climbers, jumping jacks, hoola-hooping, jump-roping, walking up and down your stairs - Legs: lunges, squats, wall-sits - Abs: sit-ups, planks, russian twists - Arms: push-ups, plank-push-ups, side push-ups (there are so many variations on push-ups; you wouldn't believe how there are online)
I know it's hard for all you extroverted people to go without interacting with your friends, or maybe even just human contact. Exercise is a great way to get in touch with your friends and family, and make this situation a little bit more bearable. Call a friend when you go out for a walk or invite your family for a dancing session in the living room.
If you've made it this far, comment down below which exercise method seems more your style. As always, stay safe and stay healthy! Sincerely, Sarah
Sources:
How did this all start? Surprisingly, much of this information is still up in the air. Scientists and virus hunters alike (yes, they're real) are still exploring different possibilities. However, this article is meant to de-bunk any far-fetched myths about the origins and provide as much information as I can. The most widespread myth about this virus is that it is a Chinese man-made virus that was created for the purposes of biological warfare. As Richard Ebright and other scientists around the world concluded, "there's absolutely nothing in the genome sequence of this virus that indicates the virus was engineered." That's not to say that this virus wasn't released on purpose, as I don't truly know that information. However, we cannot spread misinformation that this virus was a Chinese 'plot,' as this only engenders fear and conspiracies. There are three main theories about the true origins of this virus. First, it's believed that the virus originated in the wet markets of Wuhan, China. In these wet markets, wild and exotic animals are butchered and sold, and it is a natural breeding ground of bacteria. Specifically, it's believed that an infected pangolin spread the disease. This is the most popularly accepted theory. Dr. Simon Anthony, a professor at Columbia University, even believes that this is the "most simple, obvious and likely explanation," as to the origins of the virus. Second, some experts believe that the virus leaked from laboratories in Wuhan, near the wet markets. China's only bio safety level 4 super-laboratory, that worked with the Corona-virus is located in the Wuhan province, where the virus first spread. Lastly, some scientists believe that the virus spread through farmers. Farmers, especially in the Wuhan province, fertilize their plants using guano (bat feces), that they collect from crowded caves. Scientists believe that a farmer was infected with Corona-carrying feces and spread the virus around Wuhan. So what are the facts that scientists do agree on? Most scientists agree that the virus originated from animals and spread to humans, which is known as a zoonotic spillover. Also, the version of the virus that is currently wreaking havoc on the world is 96% identical to a bat Corona-virus, which leads scientists to believe that the virus originally came from bats. Why is finding the origin of this virus so important? This search for the virus' true beginnings is important because after the world slowly starts to recover, the virus could re-emerge with scientists still not full understanding it. Also, finding its origin would take scientists one step closer to developing a vaccine for the future. It's up to the media to discover the truth, not accept answers at face value. - Stephen L. Miller Sincerely, Sarah P.S - Go complete the survey on this article when you're done reading! Sources
|
AuthorMy name is Sarah Mathew and I was a junior in high school when this pandemic hit. I wanted to help my community in the best way I knew how: writing. Archives
December 2020
Categories |