By Dr Debabrata Roy
A presumably enzootic virus, SARS-CoV-2 (and a host of other such ones) morphed, jumped ‘species’, and broke the ‘symbiotic equilibrium’ as a desperate ploy in a ‘survival game’, as it were, causing unprecedented disease and destruction. Humankind too, for its part, adopted unheard of livelihood & behavioural traits in its social dynamics to ‘outdo’ the virus. Well, all infections that emerged ‘anew’ haven’t given up and continue to let themselves be known in bursts and episodes, remaining endemic and, at best, we may and do only try to ‘tame’ these. Like every phenomenon living, corona too, as a living entity/organism, doesn’t want to die; we have encroached on or stripped off its habitat depleting its hosts and reservoirs and disrupted its enzootic non-virulent symbiosis with us. It then harnessed its genomic potential to morph into a kind that apparently gave it an upper hand in the ‘survival game’. Likewise, we too did brace ourselves for a war which continues to this day and the aftermath of which remains obscure into the future. The moot point is, Covid hasn’t gone away, and it may not all too soon or ever; we have to live with it. What is pertinent is, we must not accord any ‘space’ to the virus or its variants so it may ‘browbeat’ us into hosting it, which is to say we must zealously continue to take affirmative action in terms of effective behaviour change and pragmatically prevent any ‘break away spike’ from otherwise endemic/insignificant prevalence of the infection. At the same time, we must humbly own up our wilful nonchalance and irresponsible acts of disrupting the ecosystem and resolve to restore the dynamic of symbiotic equilibrium among flora & fauna. As of today, we may have controlled it, but barely eliminated it and, the least, exterminated it! Which is to say, this shall in all probability continue to be endemic, in transmission here and there, catching a vulnerable host off-guard, oftener than is fair perhaps with the ever ominous potential of coming back as sinister variants. This is besides the fact that we will be waiting for other presumed newer (who knows more sinister) ’emerging infections’ (lurking surreptitiously) with bated breath! The point is, just as an innocuous enzootic virion, in its survival bid, has turned so diabolic, we humans too, set about unlearning a few things hitherto considered sacrosanct in defining, demonstrating our notions/expressions for the ones we care for or love – we practised ‘distancing’ ourselves from rather than seeking ‘proximity’ to our dear ones as the ‘survival etiquette’. Such has been the price! Looking in retrospect, epidemiological models predicted frightening scenarios vis a vis Covid-19 outcome trend analysis in India and whereas these projections were artificial intelligence derived and largely incorrect (these were not programmed to factor in myriad correlates as the epidemic evolved in time), one thing that must humble us into acceptance is that Mother Nature had given away its restraint and frustration tolerance, that the quintessential equilibrium of a symbiotic co-habitation of various forms of life in an otherwise dynamic eco-system had gone berserk- and human kind was at the threshold of an unprecedented existential crisis. The emerging trend of hitherto enzootic viruses including the Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV) and, of course, Corona among others now ‘jumping species’ and finding hosts in humans (to become HIV & SARS-Covid-2, respectively), didn’t go unnoticed though; yet, incorrigibly we continued to remain complacent and took things (and Providence) for granted! But Mother Nature always accords us undeserved kindness; pray, so be it now too and may we learn our lessons!
(Dr Debabrata Roy is an Epidemiologist & the Pro Vice Chancellor, Ras Bihari Bose Subharti University, Dehradun)
