Muir: Covid 19 is an 'extinction level' event

opinionred 100x100By Tom Muir

June 22nd, 2021

BURLINGTON, ON

 

covid virus

A graphic representation of what a single virus particle looks like.

The COVID19 virus emerging in the human species globally is what is known scientifically as an “extinction level event”.

It emerged in one place and spread around the world in three months hitching a ride in traveling humans.

The virus then shut down the world more or less.

The virus is microscopic in size: 5um.  One um is equal to 0.001 mm, or about 0.000039 inch.

Tom Muir is a resident of Aldershot and a retired federal civil servant who has worked at scientific analysis most of his career.

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9 comments to Muir: Covid 19 is an ‘extinction level’ event

  • Chris Ariens

    If you think COVID-19 was something that would expose many of our cultural, social and economic systems and practices as unsustainable and force us to make drastic changes to the ways we live, work and play, just imagine what climate change will do.

  • Tom Muir

    I want to make it clear that I did not intend to imply that the human species would go extinct, and be no more.

    What I meant was what we have been experiencing. Many things in our society and culture and behavioral habits are just not virus compatible or sustainable without transformational change, the need to evolve to another form, or even “extinction” in a more general context.

    Pretty much nothing will stay the exact same as it was because evolution is irreversible, and has knock on effects. Free global travel everywhere, like before, and that spread the virus everywhere in the first place, will not return soon, if ever.

    Trying to fix this is an unimaginable, logistical challenge that keeps changing, and will keep changing, so get used to it, and be happy it’s not your job to fix. Realize the fact that it is only because of the vaccine miracle that we have any economy and society at all – our way of life as we knew it cannot revive in a sustainable form without the vaccines.

    And even with the vaccines, human behavior and economic and business practices are going to face difficult and possibly forced changes. The virus destroys our concept of unlimited interaction space and that is a tough one of metric.

    With the virus present we are forced to consider how close things are and what space worked before the virus does not with it. We have seen this throughout the pandemic so it is easily imagined. It doesn’t really work does it?

    Jim says that Measles, Smallpox and Plague were all more deadly than SARS-COV-2. That may be but I don’t have the evidence of the context, time and place. However, for the deadliest pandemics of these we did not have vaccines.

    We are lucky to have the vaccines we have, and supply problems beside, we are blessed. And if you are a person of any faith, see this as the true miracle that it is.

    We have to vaccinate everyone in warp speed. We can already see some results.

    Let’s not blow it

  • Bob

    With a mortality rate of 3.9% according to WHO I find calling it an extinction is a little overblown

  • Tom Muir

    Only part of the comment I sent was published. The whole thing is as follows.

    I think that too many people complain too much, and not just here, about the existential REALITY of COVID! The COVID virus emerging in the human species globally is what is known scientifically as an “extinction level event”.

    It emerged in one place and spread around the world in 3 months hitching a ride in traveling humans. The virus then shut down the world more or less.

    Many things are just not virus compatible or sustainable without transformational change or even extinction. Pretty much nothing will stay the same as it was. Free global travel, like before, will not return soon, if ever. The virus is everywhere it seems.

    And further, complaints get to sound bitter as well when the miracle of the vaccines, and their unique never been done before so fast, becomes a focus to bitch about and try to blame somebody when it all doesn’t go according to their idealized version of what they want to see.

    Trying to fix this is an unimaginable, logistical challenge that keeps changing, and will keep changing, so get used to it, and be happy it’s not your job to fix. We have to vaccinate everyone in warp speed.

    Wake up to the fact that it is only because of this vaccine miracle that we have any economy and society at all – our way of life as we knew it cannot survive without the vaccines. The sick and dying would be littering the streets, as in India.

    Obviously, we can even see that the society, economy and business we knew is not compatible or sustainable with the virus without the vaccines. This includes the health care system, as we have also seen.

    And even with the vaccines, human behavior and economic and business practices are going to be forced to change. So get used to it, the virus and its variant offspring are here to stay.

    I too don’t like the political policy shifts we see that are sometimes contradictory, confusing, and those for dumb political gain I hate. Trust is always a question or nil.

    But the vaccine availability issues are mostly more consequences of COVID and the logistical nightmares of supply chains to fight it. Reality.

    One of the least things I worry about is whether I get either mRNA vaccine – my first was Pfizer. The mechanism of action are very much the same with Moderna. I don’t want the Astra-Zeneca for reasons we all know, but if was the only one I would take the jab.

    We are lucky to have the vaccines we have, and supply problems beside, we ought to be grateful.

    And if you are a person of any faith, see this as the true miracle that it is.

  • How true Tom Sad part is those in charge of Canadian, Ontario and Halton Public Health knew it was coming and knew how to prepare (SARS and Jo Brant C-Diff) but failed to do so. How irresponsible of 2002-2018 Halton, Ontario and Canadian governments and Public Health
    Departments. Instead of preparing they stopped those like us from speaking at Halton and Burlington Council and through the appropriate ministries and MPs and MPPs on how they were failing. Something they are still doing which we are sure Tom Muir and other past frequent delegations at City Hall will attest to. When politicians are career minded rather than service to the people minded this is always what happens. When marsdens.ca “Deliver us from Evil” is finally published (hopefully before the 2022 elections) readers will see for themselves how and why COViD had the effect it has had in Ontario, Canada and Halton. For those of us who like us believe “all things can work together for good” this is the time to start casting fully informed votes.

  • Hans Jacobs

    “…..spread around the world in three months….”, facilitated by the WHO, which delayed declaring what was very obviously a pandemic.

  • Jim Thomson

    Well it may be making certain businesses extinct, but it is nowhere near an extinction level event.
    Think of it more as evolution in action.
    COVID-19 is not going to make humans extinct, it is just going to cull the herd.

    Measles, Smallpox and Plague were all more deadly than SARS-COV-2.