COVID-19 or more popularly known as a CoronaVirus is all we can talk about for the past few months. What is wrong with the world? Why have we landed up in a situation where almost 800 crores of people are in a lockdown? But what is this virus? From where has it originated?
ORIGIN OF THE VIRUS
The most common story behind this virus is that it originated in Wuhan, China from a bat, the world’s only flying mammal. Bats are being blamed for this worldwide pandemic which has forced the whole of the world to stop each and every job and practice social distancing. People are self-quarantining themselves in order to stop this virus from spreading which has killed almost 70,000 people worldwide, and still, there is no good news for a vaccine or should we say, the deaths are not under control. And who is to be blamed for that? Is it the humans or the bats from which this coronavirus has originated?
The scientific research of Scripps Research Institute, California, says that the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that emerged from Wuhan, China that led to the worldwide epidemic is the product of natural evolution. The speculations about deliberate genetic engineering of new coronavirus are wrong. According to this research, this virus is not lab-created but has a natural origin. But still, we don’t know that this COVID-19 is a bioweapon or just a carelessness of people working in the so-called wet markets of China.
EFFECT ON THE SPECIES
But then why are the bats being harmed due to this? The relationship between Bats and various Coronaviruses has gained much attention since 2005. But what is the truth? ecological activities of humans for the past century have to be blamed? Various diseases experts and zoologists have stated that the changes in human behavior towards nature have led the diseases that were once locked away in nature to cross into people.
Because of this widespread belief that it is the bats who caused this virus, there are various reports that suggest that bats are being continuously harmed. People are trying to put them in a cage so that they are not able to spread this virus more. But, is this correct? Is it really the bats who are to be blamed?
Another theory states that this virus is very similar to that found in horseshoe bats, found in China. This leads to the question, as to how COVID-19, which is found in bats-the untouched community by humans-surfaced between humans on the Earth. Thus, we need to rethink how we have started treating our beloved planet.
The most likely reason for COVID-19 is the wet markets of China- where wild animals are held captive together and sold as delicacies in large numbers. In such areas, various other animals and humans are also exposed to the innumerable viruses, some of which may not even be detected by humans, yet.
WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING?
We have also been destroying their natural habitats, which have made various animals wild and weird and have let them mingle into the human’s culture and environment. Indeed, that is natural, if we destroy their natural habitat, they ought to find their way into our living.
Thus, we need to analyze what we have been doing to our beloved nature, and not blame some other species. We have been destroying the habitats of other species and making them more human-dominated.
Lastly, I would like to ask you, is it the bats, who have to be blamed for this widespread epidemic or is it various other activities carried out by humans where nature is responding in a similar manner by destroying our man-made environment, and taking what was it’s own.
Thank you.
