A battle between viruses and humans: Who is the winner?
Sanjeev Singh1, MPH
1. Corresponding author : University School of
Medicine & Paramedical Health Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha
University, Delhi, India, Cell : +918447732619,
sanjupt@gmail.com
“We are the descendants of the ‘fortunate ancestors’ who survived
past epidemics. But the viruses, too, are the descendants of their own
fortunate ancestors that survived and transformed themselves over the
past four billion years.” ~ Dr. Ishi Hiroyuki.
The existence of viruses dates back to four billon years whereas human’s
ancestors emerged long after the viruses, around two hundred thousand
years ago. Sharing a close relationship with humans, viruses are
considered as one of the primary drivers for human evolution. Humans in
return have also offered them an ideal habitat for their growth and
evaluation. However, both, humans and viruses are diverse, astute,
competitive, and avaricious in nature, which engage them in a
never-ending conflict resembling that of a friend as well as foe.
As human civilizations flourished, so did viruses. Throughout the
history, viruses have played a significant role in reshaping
civilizations by claiming uncountable mortalities, morbidities, and
economical losses by acting as a natural predator. Several times, these
invisible enemies of human race have changed the power dynamics and
brought the world to its knees. For example, deaths by the Spanish flu
was around 50 million globally, higher than the estimated 16 million in
the World War I (WW-I)1. During 20thcentury, smallpox was responsible for ~300 million
deaths more than that caused as a direct or indirect result of war and
armed conflicts (~100 million)2.
However, humans have developed skills or found ways to coexist alongside
viruses or even completely control them. In recent decades, humans have
already eradicated smallpox. Poliomyelitis is on its way towards
elimination and several other diseases are on the back foot.
But then there is no end as ingenious viruses are continuously evolving
and change their nature through mutations and become more virulent. For
example, SARS-CoV-2, a new coronavirus strain causing COVID-19 disease,
evolved in the space of sixty years. A virus, sized between 70–90
nanometres has locked down the entire world infecting >2.5
million people and claiming >175 thousand lives to date and
this numbers are rapidly increasing3. This seems to be
a battle between two rivals and reminds us of Darwin’s theory of
evolution, “survival of fittest.”
Renowned environmentalist and scientist, Dr. Ishi Hiroyuki compares this
battle as: “It’s like the battle between a computer user and a
hacker. Human cells try to keep the virus out by barring the way with a
password, but the hacker, here the virus, uses every method possible to
uncover the password and get inside. The virus mutates at a furious pace
to fit perfectly into the keyhole, so human beings are hard pressed to
stop the intruder. But humans try to counter this by filling up the
keyhole. This is the competition that goes on between the two sides .”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 21stcentury epidemics can spread faster and farther than ever and
potentially affecting each and every aspect of a human
life4. Today, the world goes to win the battle against
COVID-19 for sure. However, considering the nature of viruses, it goes
without saying that viruses will wait again to strike back and no one
knows for sure when and how deadly they will be. This never ending
merciless battle between viruses and humans looks like an arms race for
their survival in which neither a virus wins nor a human but each battle
provides them an opportunity to bounce back for the NEXT.