ANOTHER VIRUS?

As we are struggling with the present Covid-19 pandemic, there is a new swine flu virus evolving and being closely monitored. Known as G4 and having evolved from the H1N1 virus which killed over 200,000 people worldwide in 2009, this one, not surprisingly, is found in many pigs on pig farms.

So far, this seems to be limited to Chinese pig farms in a few specific provinces and at this stage, the virus can infect people but does not appear to have the ability to spread from human to human but many people in the provinces where these farms are located, especially the workers on these farms, have been infected. As we have seen with every other epidemic, it doesn’t take much for a virus to mutate, become transmissible, spread quickly, potentially with much more lethal results.

How much more can we take? 

As the saying goes, “The beatings will continue until morale improves”

One of the people I follow in the world of social media vegan is endurance athlete Rich Roll. One of his mantras is “nothing changes if nothing changes”. If we continue to behave the way we do, eat the way we eat, raise and treat animals the way we do, these pandemics will continue to occur. As I have said a few times in previous posts, every single major epidemic and pandemic humanity has experienced, including common diseases like measles, mumps and rubella, came from domesticated animals, most raised on factory farms. Here are a few examples:

Tuberculosis (TB) – originally from goats and cattle, specifically milk and meat.

Cowpox – cows

Smallpox – camels and cattle in general

Influenza (the Flu) – pigs and birds like ducks and chickens.

Whooping cough – pigs and dogs

Swine Flu – pigs and birds.

Bovine Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease) – cows

SARS and MERS – exotic animal trade via bats.

Ebola and HIV – chimpanzees from the bush-meat trade. The first case of HIV was actually in 1908.

Leprosy – water buffalo

Typhoid – chickens

Chicken Pox – obviously chickens.

Lest you think these pandemics and infections only start in other countries, It happens here as well. First of all, there were at least 80 “wet markets” selling live and rare animals in NYC. Another example is BLV, bovine leukemia virus. 100% of cows on US farms with more than 200 head of cattle (the largest one by the way has almost 1 million cows) are infected with BLV. It does get transmitted to humans through consumption of meat and dairy and has been linked with breast cancer. Not to mention the endemic presence of MRSA, a resistant form of Staph Aureus dubbed the “flesh eating bacteria” in those animals and the workers in those facilities.

The clear personal, ethical and planetary benefits of reducing meat consumption aside, from a human species survival standpoint, if we don’t change our behavior and learn from past lessons, we are destined to keep having to deal with such outbreaks. Consider even a few vegan meals a week. Every little bit counts.

In the meantime:

• Socialize but do so practically and safely. We must protect the vulnerable.
• Wear your mask! For yourself and for others.
• Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer when necessary.
• Practice physical distancing.
• Don’t touch your face.
• If you have any symptoms, stay home.
• Be compassionate and look out for your neighbors, family members and friends.

We don’t have to make America great again. It’s already great. We just have to remember how it became great. Freedom. Opportunity. Hard work. Looking out for our neighbors. Personal responsibility. Imagination. Social growth…. All things we need to become reacquainted with and appreciate. I know there are a lot of glaring social inequities out there along with pent up frustrations. We must work on these, however, just look around at the rest of the world and appreciate what we have because there are plenty of people who have much less. 

Signing off for the weekend.

Have a great and safe July 4th. 

Stay safe and be well. 

AC 😎✌️🌱❤🐖🏃🏻🧘🏻‍♂️🌎😷