What caused COVID-19?

It seemed like yesterday when we watched the ball drop at a crowded New Year’s Eve party. After forming our resolutions, we were eager to see what 2020 would bring. None of us anticipated a worldwide pandemic. None of us thought that a small outbreak in Wuhan would result in a worldwide economic standstill, and yet maybe we should have been thinking about it all along. As cases continue to climb, governments and health officials are strongly encouraging citizens to limit their interactions with others and practice social distancing. As the promise for a widespread vaccine remains on the horizon, experts continue to explore ways that prevent the future spread of novel diseases.

COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, which is defined as an animal disease that causes sickness in humans. In order to contract a zoonotic disease, a human must first come in contact with an infected animal before spreading it to other humans. Ever since the latter half of the 20th century, there have been an alarmingly high number of reported zoonotic disease outbreaks resulting in the deaths of millions of people. Thankfully, years of scientific research have allowed us to develop vaccines, which mitigate the number of casualties and hospitalizations from deadly diseases. However, vaccines are a reactive approach to research because they do not address what causes the rapid transmission of deadly diseases. Vaccines often take years to develop, which may be too long before a significant number of people perish. Researchers are now looking into preventative measures that lower the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks. David Quamman is a proactive researcher who is investigating the causes of zoonotic diseases. Quamman claims that there are two main causes for deadly disease outbreaks: disruption and connectivity. Disruption occurs when humans interfere with the natural habitats of other animals. Everyday, we disrupt the environment when we mine for resources, build new roads, or clear areas of land. By doing this, we not only displace many of the native animal species but also increase our contact with potential carriers of zoonotic diseases. According to Quamman, “for each species of animal or plant in those [disturbed areas], there’s probably one unique form of virus.” By continually encroaching on the natural habitats of other animal species, we run the risk of shaking loose another novel zoonotic disease. Connectivity is the second main cause of zoonotic disease outbreaks. With over seven billion people living on this planet, it is no surprise that humans are constantly interacting with one another. David Quamman argues that frequent interaction among people allows for the rapid spread of zoonotic diseases. Today, governments are trying to slow the spread of COVID-19 by enacting measures that minimize connectivity. These include: travel bans, social distancing guidelines, and lowering the number of large public gatherings. Although minimizing connectivity is an effective way to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, we must also make efforts to reduce our disruption of other ecosystems. By decreasing environmental disruptions we not only lower the risk of coming in contact with novel diseases but also secure a more sustainable future.

Archeological studies suggest that humans have been disrupting the planet’s ecology well before the turn of the industrial revolution. One such study explores the overexploitation of resources by the settlers of Easter Island. There are two main theories that attempt to explain why the Easter Island civilization collapsed. One theory states that the original settlers used slash and burn tactics to clear large areas of forest to make space for agriculture. Over many generations, the settlers continued to multiply and clear more land until there were no trees left. This overexploitation of resources eventually resulted in an overall population decline and lower quality of life for Easter Island inhabitants. The second theory proposes that the original settlers introduced an invasive population of rats when they first arrived on the island. The rats were able to sustain themselves by eating palm roots, which were a main component of the Easter Island ecology. Because they had no natural predators, the rats were able to rapidly multiply. This combined with their diet resulted in the complete destruction of the native Easter Island forest. Although the human settlers were able to sustain themselves by eating the rats, the ecological disruption that occurred on the island resulted in a diminished quality of life.

Today, businesses continue to disrupt the ecology and overexploit the Earth’s resources. If we continue on this current trajectory, humanity may survive as a whole, but we will likely experience a significant population decline as well as a lower overall quality of life. Experts have assessed the risk of severe ecological destabilization due to human disruption of the environment. Their studies indicate that our current trajectory is unsustainable and that change is necessary. An article from Science Magazine establishes rough guidelines for how we can prevent a global environmental disaster. The article proposes that setting planetary boundaries may promote more sustainable behavior. Planetary boundaries are “scientifically based levels of human perturbation of the [Earth system] beyond which [Earth system] functioning may be substantially altered,” (Steffen). By crossing a planetary boundary, there is a greater risk that the entire Earth system will become destabilized. However, crossing a planetary boundary does not immediately result in a doomsday level event. Planetary boundaries are placed before actual global thresholds to account for uncertainty in estimates and allow enough time for society to react to early warning signs.

COVID-19 has taught us a very important lesson. Our current rate of resource consumption encroaches on natural habitats and overwhelms the ecology of our planet. As a result, businesses must depart from their current trajectory and adhere to the guidelines set forth by planetary boundaries. It is clear that mitigating our ecological footprint is a viable solution for preventing the spread of novel diseases and securing a more sustainable lifestyle.