…No vaccine “wipes” out a virus. Vaccines are not cures. Vaccines are not preventatives. Vaccines do not seek out and destroy. As an example, we have had vaccines for influenza for decades (since the 1940s) and each year influenza exacts a toll on humans, including sometimes those who have been vaccinated. Influenza is not even close to being “wiped out.” We manage it at best.
Here is a short list of infectious diseases that are a part of our natural existence and any of these have the potential to cause death in any given individual..
1. Bacterial Infections. (Cocci) Pneumonia, Staphylococcal, Streptococcal, Enterococcal, Toxic Shock; (Gram Positive Bacilli) Diphtheria, Anthrax, Listeriosis; (Gram Negative Bacilli) Cholera, Trench Fever, E. Coli, Plague, Salmonella
2. Spirochetes Infections. Lyme disease, Yaws, Leptospirosis
3. Anaerobic Bacterial Infections. Botulism, Tetanus, Clostridium
4. Rickettsiae Infections. Murine Typhus, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
5. Mycobacteria. Tuberculosis, Leprosy
6. Fungal Diseases. Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Histoplasmosis
7. Parasitic Infections. Nematodes (roundworms), Trematodes (flukes), Cestodes (tapeworms)
8. Protozoan Infections. Amebiasis, Giardiasis, Malaria, Encephalitis, Toxoplasmosis
9. Respiratory Viruses. Influenza/Parainfluenza, Adenovirus, Rhinovirus, Coronavirus
10. Herpes Viruses. Chickenpox, Mononucleosis, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes Zoster
11. Enteroviruses. Polio, Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease (not the same as the politician’s “foot-in-mouth” disease)
12. Various Viradae Viruses. Dengue, Hanta, Lassa, Ebola, Marburg, Yellow Fever
13. Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV
14. Misc. Viruses. Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Smallpox
15. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Syphilis, Gonorrhea
16. Mycoplasma
Many of these diseases have vaccines available, many do not. Some vaccines are more effective than others. But there has been only one that we have eradicated naturally, i.e. “wiped out,” and that is smallpox.
…So, is coronavirus deadly? Not really; in fact, most viruses are not truly deadly. The outcome may be death, but that is different than actually being deadly. A bite from a black mamba snake is deadly due to the potent venom. Viruses are parasites, unlike bacteria. Viruses depend on the support of their host. If a virus is to survive, it needs the host to survive. What kills most people with viruses is their own immune system weakness, but sometimes the immune overreaction can kill. That weakness is taken advantage of by bacterial infections. Also, generally poor health conditions can lead to organ failure.
1. The coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, is not “deadly.” It can lead to death in very well-identified segments of the population, e.g. the infirmed elderly or poor, but it is very rarely death by the virus. It may be death by bacteria or other causes, yes, but very rarely, if ever, by virus. This is exactly the same as other URI and many other infectious diseases.
2. The mortality that is associated with Covid has little impact on the expected mortality rate since the population that was most at risk also had a very low life expectancy.
3. Increases in mortality in the US are more likely associated with increases in drug OD and suicides, which are collateral damage due to the policies imposed during 2020.
4. Any vaccine that may be developed and approved for coronavirus is at best a boost to the immune system. It will not prevent infection or wipe out the virus. The degree of effectiveness will only be determined over time.
5. People who have experienced Covid or are otherwise healthy do not need a vaccine. But it should be their choice, as it should be for all.
