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Many events challenged us this year. Ever concerned about our country’s political environment and climate change, we suddenly had to contend with a Pandemic that challenged our global health and financial well-being. Our friends, family, and community suffered a loss of loved ones, loss of jobs, loss of homes, and received strict directives by a majority consensus to control the Pandemic by preventing its spread. We learned that many of us require alternative production of income-driven work. We need some means of surviving if the outside employment goes sour. One must have a backup plan or two. For more reasons than one, we need to consider how to support our well-being in this world. 

 A reflection on preparation for one another’s care is essential. I believe that Sir David Attenborough, a brilliant human, has more knowledge about Nature on our Earth than any other. If he had a program describing and educating us on our species, what would we marvel about ourselves? The scientific biological order of us: Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Primates, and several other named levels like Family, Tribe, Genus, and eventually arrives at Species: Homo Sapiens. Our species is inclusive of all humans around our planet. The more advanced and intelligent of our humankind venture to improve our lives. The prejudicially inclined of humankind recruit others to cause destruction and problems.

The philosophers, architects, scientists, educators, medical professionals, and people, in general, want to live in peaceful environments. They create suburbs, schools, communities, hospitals, transportation options, and safety rules so that all may thrive and live with trust in each other and the communities. Ideally, peace is respected and, people go about their days on their course of life. Anywhere that racial inequality exists, problems that need solving do, too. Be aware of powerful and corrupt individuals and groups who disrupt the peace because of their greediness for control, power, and money. Luckily, many individuals are content with their successes and do not need to deceive others or cause harm.

 Homo Sapiens around planet Earth live in many habitable places on Earth, in many countries, with languages, dialects, and cultural beliefs different from one another. Our species is multiracial and multicultural. We have global scientists who research many possible solutions and cures. We have several types of peer reviews to evaluate scholarly research before publication. Peer experts in the same field discuss the work and comment. I wonder if peers provide a conscience to the inventors of new products to protect us from the creation and design of anything we cannot safely destroy yet must store, such as a nuclear device.

During the year 2020, the global news reported on the spread of an infectious disease called Coronavirus-19-first recorded in 2019-(hence COVID-19), which caused many deaths. Many of us followed the available information on the network news, social media, and radio each day. We counted cases and the passing away of humans, which seemed cold and impersonal to tally the deaths of strangers, but this news was alarming and required our collective attention. The COVID-19 affects the respiratory system. Medical facilities were not adequately equipped to service a pandemic. People were quarantined in their homes unless to go shopping for food, medicine, toiletries, and gas. Even the hospitals asked the public to cancel unnecessary procedures and stay home. The medical staff worked tirelessly to stay healthy and keep us alive. The social humans had no social fun because almost all types of businesses closed indefinitely for the first time in their existence. Our lifestyles changed abruptly to no bowling, no concerts, no dancing, no movies, no restaurants, no gyms, no nightclubs, no jobs, no schools, no gathering, nor traveling during this most bewildering time. The businesses shut down because the public could not attend. Schools closed. People everywhere had to cancel social events. Some people defied the warnings and hosted events that soon proved to be super-spreaders of the Virus. These challenges caused an enormous economic shift. Unemployed workers and business owners needed/need unemployment compensation. The communities didn’t understand the scale of the problem until it unfolded before us. We did not know how to solve it quickly or efficiently. People have had significantly differing opinions on solutions, some of which were better than others. Larger cities with more corpses from COVID-19 had a problem with storage space for the deceased before determining the final resting places. We watched refrigerated trucks fill up with the dead while coroners struggled to notify loved ones or next of kin. It was awful. Families could not unite for farewells in the last moments of life and had to take comfort while grieving together over Facetime. Technology is beneficial, especially in these difficult times.

Scientists continuously develop various vaccines and medicines for many types of illnesses. They communicate, collaborate, and make decisions to eradicate diseases. They select the best results and proceed forward to supply our world with a modicum of hope of surviving this Pandemic. Then, the general public gets the instructions to get vaccinated to build immunity and repress the spread of a pandemic. Which Vaccine is the best? Again, people have differing opinions about which is the safest and most effective. As it turns out, many of us did not have a choice. It was whatever was available for your medical team. Some people will run to get vaccinated before the Vaccine runs out, and others will protest the idea of mandatory vaccination. The mandate is for the sake of the communities and the species. Some of the people who decline vaccination risk losing their jobs. Some have already lost their jobs in their chosen careers. 

The news, social media, colleagues, friends, and family share opinions on each topic. If each differing opinion is understandably correct, which one has the extra .5 percent of being more scientifically valid? 

More accurate information would be educational. Precise information can neutrally and reasonably help us argue, explain, or illustrate why we would prefer one solution over another. To discuss vaccines, I had to research the subject of vaccines. While doing the research, I found out about vaccines submitted in 2017 to destroy cancer cells. This website at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ has interesting information to consider. 

Parents decide on vaccines on behalf of their children. Public school systems select policies for their students. Private schools provide guidelines for their students. Theoretically, elected officials in governments work for the best interest of citizens. Even so, we sometimes disagree on the way to move forward. We need specific details as to why one way is better than another. For example, we need to know what the molecules of a vaccine do to the intended Virus and unintended surrounding tissue. We need to understand what the virus molecules of an unvaccinated carrier do to the host and possibly to others. Even though programs on the nature of the Virus And the Vaccine showed us animated molecular theories, we might forget the data after one viewing. If we had a 24/7 channel for the visual and audio explanations of scientifically proven data, perhaps we could tune in whenever we needed to review specifics. We need to illustrate the science and explain the solutions most simply and correctly, with proper definitions, for the community to understand why one path of science is better than another path of science.

Even the natural habits of other species have dual routes for them to survive because that seems to be the mandate for most creatures to keep the species alive and moving forward in survival, intellect, and health. A documentary called Fabulous Fungi showed a segment on insects, specifically termites. If a worker termite walked on an infectious spore and then went back to its nest, the two guard termites would carry away the worker, decapitate it, and then, the two guards self- terminate so as not to infect the queen or their nest. The fact that some humans believe wholeheartedly in most vaccines and others are equally against them proves a theory that we innately protect our species by subconsciously doing opposite actions as a group when apparent life and death are on the line, such as the Virus versus the Vaccine. This research takes time. We need more clarity because doubt and disagreements are clouding up relationships, progress, and jobs. 

While most businesses and travel shut down for a couple of months to prevent the spread of the Virus, we watched the news on the death toll of humans around the world. How the countries were dealing with the onslaught of corpses was a very shocking and depressing drama.

When we reopened and went back to work, we wore N95 masks, double masks, for about a year. We had terrible fires that made the environment thick with orange smoke. We rallied to help others even during the Pandemic. I was amazed at the crowd of volunteers who organized drop-off points for food, clothing, water for those who lost their homes. We remind each other to appreciate the heroism of Firefighters and the kindness of volunteers. Recently, we were allowed to work without masks for about two weeks when the rise in infections caused us to reinstate the mask mandate. Because of the Virus, death, closure, and uncertainty, we watched what should have been the 2020 Olympics in 2021. The embroidered merchandise said 2020, so they naturally called it the same. I prefer the name of Olympics of 202021; by adding two more digits. The athletes and everyone who made the Olympics possible gave us some hope that global healing was active even with the threat of COVID-19. We remember the Pandemic, an international historical event that affected everyone. Will they remember twenty years from now?

While thinking about and praying for healing solutions for people suffering from the COVID-19, I wondered if our scientists and government considered using coca leaves of the South American countries to help ICU patients breathe a little easier. History has shown the indigenous Quechua people living in higher altitudes of Peru and other South American countries have lungs that have increased breathing capacity due to the chewing of coca leaves. Scientific studies have determined that generations of Quechua people have survived high altitudes by chewing the coca leaves, Erythoroxilium coca.  Documentation of the research on their increased lung capacity is available on the internet: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6833119/, and others, one of which is a citation below this post. The hospitals use various types of oxygen ventilators for patient therapy. Do we know if scientists have considered using coca leaves for medicinal treatment for those in intensive care units at the hospital or as part of the vaccines? 

As we move along in this situation of uncertainty with the Pandemic, global health, and local health, it is worthwhile to research secondary income or even multiple revenue streams if we need to quarantine, if businesses furlough employees again or if they close altogether. We should prepare emergency alternative energy sources, gardening, and filters to purify water.  

1. A.J. Boyce, J.S.J. Haight, D.B. Rimmer & G.A. Harrison (1974) Respiratory function in Peruvian Quechua Indians, Annals of Human Biology, 1:2, 137-148, DOI: 10.1080/03014467400000161