Could This Pandemic Have Extended Your Life?

Don't for a minute think I'm ignoring those and I have suffered from covid myself but for many who have isolated and not been infected they would have had less viruses than normal as is the case with the huge reduction in people getting flu. Obviously its a horrible situation I was just trying to point out a small silver lining to a terrible pandemic.

We are organic machines running organic code, our DNA and that code is vulnerable to viruses. About 10% of our DNA is made up of virus data, its a corrupting force. We only notice it when it produces symptoms but not all virus data leads to symptoms. Some viruses may even by chance have had a positive effect actually creating a improvement in our DNA by chance.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161128151050.htm

I just find it interesting how close a computer virus is to an actual organic virus.

I suppose the main difference is a computer program is normally fairly compact and structured where as DNA is a complete mess with perhaps only 1 to 2% of it being useful code most of it is just junk we don't need.

That is a very big problem which is really coming to the fore now as people who have either put off going to their GP, or more likely just not been able to get face to face GP appointments are now being referred into hospitals and joining every growing waiting lists.

It seems that in New Zealand they are finding just this - a rise in childhood respiratory diseases for this very reason.

It's a difficult balance, learning to fight viruses is important but viruses can also corrupt your DNA until you have beaten them. Bacteria is definitely good to get exposed to at a reduced level from an early age. I think going back to viruses 'viral load' is important. If your body gets a tiny amount of a virus it can learn to deal with it without too much damage. Unfortunately at the beginning of the pandemic many medical staff were exposed to higher viral loads and their system had no time to cope and it was over-run and many ended up dying. Vaccines are brilliant at giving the body the information to fight a virus without exposing it to the damage of it. So your body can learn to destroy a virus with much reduced damage to your body and organs etc. Vaccines would definitely be a better option for children as the body is still growing so the DNA getting damaged while in that state is more risky.

I hadn't thought of that but very true

Yes life expectancy is definitely reduced, the fact probably close to 150,000 have died prematurely would effect those statistics significantly.

I've not seen any statistics that obesity has increased during covid 19 above the national trend but wouldn't be surprised if it had. I have certainly seen reports that covid 19 has highlighted the UK's high obesity levels and greater risk to covid. I guess it also depends on your job. Many people work in offices with very little physical activity but others do physical jobs and how each responds if forced to stay at home would either increase or reduce their physical activity.

As an obese person myself who was hit with covid and just getting over long covid I certainly know the greater health risks of obesity sadly.

This is the increase in obesity by year graph from the government. Sadly even before the pandemic obesity was increasing although I didn't realise it was increasing at a much greater rate in woman than men as shown here but it doesn't surprise me as the gap between what age men and women die has been reducing so perhaps the increasing level of obesity in women would explain that. Annoyingly that graph doesn't yet show 2020/2021 figures.

Don't think I'm in anyway negating the horrible effects to people's lives in this pandemic and sincerely hope your situation improves rapidly. This was just a discussion about the fringe benefits of reducing the level of viruses entering the body and how for some it could be beneficial overall. How wearing face masks as shown in Japan can massively reduce the level of virus transmission for all viral diseases etc. I think a significant number of UK people now have a greater understanding about viruses and how to prevent their transmission and this knowledge will not leave them in the future, hopefully we will have better years ahead and much less successful years for viruses.

I don't get the lack of face mask enforcement. I agree we need to open up but just don't get not having face masks in shops. Many vulnerable people won't be able to go out to shop because people aren't wearing face masks plus wearing face masks may lower the viral load which means if someone does get infected the viral load is less so it could be much less damaging as it allows the body more time to fight infection. Face masks just make sense from now on. Is it such a big deal to wear a face mask, I don't feel it infringes my freedom when I go in a shop.