COVID-19 Could Have Been Prevented: This is HOW!

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As we experience vacant streets, closed shopping outlets, eerily quiet playgrounds, the outcry for self-isolation, social distancing and the current economic instability will undoubtedly result in an unspeakable rise in depression. The world has been thrust into a chaotic limbo by the global pandemic at the hands of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. While the world looks for a cure, Erasmus’ quote, “prevention is better than cure” comes to mind. Could this pandemic have been prevented?

COVID-19, along with other similar viruses are defined by the term zoonosis—the process by which a disease can be transmitted from animals to humans, with the most common transmission type being foodborne. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states:
“Each year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from eating contaminated food. Eating or drinking something unsafe, such as unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat or eggs, or raw fruits and vegetables that are contaminated with feces from an infected animal.” –Zoonotic Diseases, cdc.gov

COVID-19 is not the first of its kind; in fact, let's go back to 1918 when the world was plunged into darkness.

“At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain. Citizens were ordered to wear masks, schools, theatres and businesses were shuttered and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues before the virus ended its deadly global march.” - Spanish Flu, History.com

First observed in Europe, The United States and Asia, the virus spread throughout the world claiming approximately 50 million lives with over 500 million people being affected. Many hypotheses have surfaced alluding to the origin of this virus, yet the results have been inconclusive. The common factor in all the research, however, points to an avian-source. Whether transferred to humans directly or through a medium such as a pig, the transmission type was most probably the result of eating such animals.

Fast forward to 1981 when the world experienced the first case of HIV/AIDS. “[Being] first observed in American gay communities but is believed to have developed… [in] West Africa in the 1920s.” – Pandemics that Changed History, History.com

This wasting disease destroys an individual’s immune system. The result of a weakened immune system can lead to one’s demise. Diseases that the body would typically fight off becomes unstoppable. According to the National Geographic, “It is now widely accepted that humans contracted HIV from chimpanzees, probably by butchering them for bushmeat.” – HIV Originated with Monkeys, Not Chimps, Study Finds, nationalgeographic.com

The devastating impact of HIV/AIDS has resulted in an estimated 35 million lives having been lost to date. As the death toll rises each year, the onslaught of this disease leaves its victims with little hope of recovery.

In most recent times, SARS – severe acute respiratory syndrome, MERS – middle east respiratory syndrome and H1N1 – or swine flu have once again claimed many lives. It is suspected that these viruses were transmitted to humans through a vector animal, such as the pig (in the case of SARS) and the camel (In the case of MERS). Animals which are considered food by many.

COVID-19 is no exception. Although the cause has not been confirmed, the origin appears linked to a meat market in the Hubei province of China. As the virus continues to spread around the globe, borders have closed and quarantine measures have been implemented. The plea to stay at home is echoing around the world. Countries are expending billions of dollars to fight against the spread of COVID-19 and trillions in attempts to nullify its economic impact. While the world focuses on finding a suitable vaccine, others are concerned about the preparations for the next pandemic, yet the simplest solution n eludes them.

When combined, all these diseases have claimed close to 100 million lives—lives that need not have been lost. Instead of focusing on a cure, it is possible to prevent such outbreaks in the first place. As individuals and as a collective, we must recognize that our actions impact the world on a whole. Therefore, we ought to be more cognizant with our food choices. We need to consider what is food and what is not, realizing that not everything that moves is good to eat.