by Dr. John Ross
NOW is the time to consider what future we want after COVID. The excellent article that follows kicks off a new, regular feature by Ecologos called “What If?”. It is reprinted here with the author’s permission.
It is crazy what an invisible particle made of fat, protein, and RNA — despite lacking a nervous system, consciousness or intent — has done to humans in a few months. The SARS-2-CoV virus, the virus that causes the CoVID-19 illness, is nature’s science experiment. It is an inert blob of chemistry. It does not “stay alive on surfaces for days” when coughed or sneezed out — it just falls apart. It is not alive or dead, it just is or is not. It strictly adheres to the laws of nature, including chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics.
Humans are the perfect host to infect. It follows very predictable natural laws. Humans however, prefer beliefs and rules we make up in our heads and share, often force others to believe. Many are ignorant of the natural basic laws that affect us all.
In the case of this virus, early alarms in China were suppressed by political hierarchies — human created structures. Authoritarian politics do not tolerate the unexpected or embarrassing. Other government leaders, including in the U.S., defended their fragile, highly temperamental economic belief systems, promoting calm and “business as usual” despite the virus biology and its simple arithmetic exponential spread. People in many countries around the world were supposed to be reassured by our leaders, who could negotiate a better outcome versus that being offered by nature. But nature does not negotiate. Therefore, in order to survive, we need to change our belief systems.
The virus is elegant simplicity – fat, protein, and RNA. Humans are super computers with millions of complex interdependent chemical reactions, specialized organ systems, feedback loops, and a barely understood collaborative relationship with “good” bacteria on and inside our bodies. Despite that, our biology also follows the laws of nature. Viruses and humans are driven to make more of each other. Humans make highly complex near-copies of themselves, one or a few at a time, over nine months. Viruses make more of themselves, in millions every few hours. Humans have built in on/off switches. Viruses are like cancers; they have an ON but no OFF switch. As viruses and humans multiply and spread, they injure their hosts. When SARS- 2-CoV infects humans, the immune system triggers a series of responses, in some cases leading to death. When humans and their corporations multiply, they disrupt the planet, which can also lead to early death, for us and many other species as well.
SARS-2-CoV’s near-infinity viral copies around the world are a monoculture — every one identical. It spreads among us so effectively because we too are a monoculture. Sure, we are different colours and shapes, but we share far more sameness than differences — a fact the virus appreciates, but in non-pandemic times, we should appreciate, too. What we have in common far exceeds our superficial differences.
Humans, in addition to amazing bodies, have amazing brains that realized over millions of years that we are safer staying and working together, as a highly social species, than we are alone. Almost every other species found the same strategy before us — schools of fish, flocks of birds, herds of wildebeest, pods of whales, packs of wolves, etc. Sharks are an interesting exception.
The other really interesting brain development was basic storytelling — sharing experiences for the benefit of others. Those stories became more and more complex over time, and developed into whole complicated belief systems. The belief systems to this day are shared broadly — religions, politics, economies, money, social hierarchies and many others are made up in our minds. They are all “software” ideas or fantasies resulting in hardware creations like countries, religious structures, economic mathematical models, currency, partisan politics etc. They have become fixed, followed relatively unquestioned over decades or centuries. We learn or are told to accept inequality, accept precarious work as better than nothing, and are blasted with biased information. We are so busy reacting and surviving that we rarely stop to question where it is all going.
That was before late December 2019.
Then along came the novel SARS-2-CoV. Ultra-basic inert chemical blob versus ultra-sophisticated humans. It is attacking our fragile bodies AND fragile belief systems. It revealed leaders who prefer fantasies over science. The economy – our invented god – is the shared belief at the root of almost everything. It, like the viral particle on the table top, is rapidly falling apart. It is revealing who are the most important in our society. Not millionaires and billionaires — uber successful in the former economic fantasy — who, like sharks, are hiding alone in bunkers and on super yachts around the world, including one in the White House.
A few of our political leaders have stepped way up, and many have withered. The important people are now seen to be basic frontline health-care providers and first responders, care workers in elder-homes, grocery store clerks, supply chain truckers and warehouse workers, local bankers (not investment bubble criminals), essential government service workers. The “viral” collapse of the economy, created by elites, revealed its fragile underpinnings — the huge number of casual and part-time workers. They gave up security, benefits and the ability to save for retirement or cushion events like this so corporations could maintain profits.
Those workers’ struggle for survival highlight another false belief: Government is bad, the unregulated free market good. Where is the free market as governments support all people. Past corporate bailouts have never “trickled down” to workers. Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of a “basic living wage” as governments distribute money to those in need.
Many want to return to pre-virus “normal”. But it was not normal. It was unjust. As taxpayers, we are the government. We can decide what role the government should have and what a well- regulated, inclusive capitalist economy should provide.
We share the planet with millions of plants and animals. The global shutdown has cut pollution and waste almost overnight! Decades of climate meetings in Copenhagen, Kyoto, Paris and other places have been theatrical debates between politicians, economists and scientists fantasizing acceptable timelines to change our habits. Nature, however, follows unyielding laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics. Nature decides on the timing of earthquakes, floods and continental fires and reaction to carbon dioxide imbalances in the atmosphere.
This is a magical moment for an actual and metaphorical “clearing of the air” to align our perceived needs with a sustainable ecosystem. There are no options. Nature does not negotiate.
The chemical blob SARS-2-CoV has revealed our collective hubris. Nietzsche said, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” Sadly, many humans have died and will die. Hopefully, as we rebuild our strength, we will remember that humans are just one little piece of nature’s complex puzzle. We cannot gain dominion over her. We share the planet with other species. We are part of a complex adaptive ecosystem. Human ingenuity is immensely powerful when focused. In non-pandemic times, it is the essence of human activity and production, organized into a trading and sharing economy. The pandemic has revealed the protective, inclusive and distributive role of strong government. It supports fair business and regulations that enable human imagination, creativity, productivity, safety and inclusivity.
Let’s advocate loudly for a very different new normal, consistent with our place in nature. We want to return to work, but not to precarious jobs that undervalue fellow humans. We want a strong economy, but not one that is unjust, exclusive and wasteful. Human-created beliefs must better align with reality. We are the government. Make your opinion known.
A timely, simple lesson from a simple chemical blob.
Dr. John Ross is Medical Director, PRAXES Medical Group, and Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Dalhousie University