Was asked to explain the difference between colds and flu and viruses in a way that wasn’t ‘medical’.
Figured I’d pass it on. IT IS VERY BASIC and nowhere near as elaborate as any single step in any of the descriptions is. Any questions, post em, I’ll get as doctorly as I can if you like.
So, an intro to disease and how we fight it.
IF you read it, I hope it give you some insight.
Were covered with aliens
Our bodies are full of, and covered with, micro-organisms, or microbes. It’s suggested that for every human cell there are 8-12 times the amount of microbes.
Not all of them are bad. Most form colonies and help with everyday needs. Those on skin clean, those in the gut help us digest, etc… There are thousands of species that are helpful, and a few not so much.
The bad stuff
For the most part, the bad microbes fit in one of five categories:
Viruses, bacteria, fungus, worms, or more complex protozoa (like things transmitted by mosquitos)
Of these 2, bacteria and viruses are what we talk about at these times.
Bacteria
So, a bacterium is a living microbe. They become a problem when either a bad one gets in (eyes, nose, mouth) or when a good type inside us grows out of proportion and it’s noticed by our immune system.
Bacteria are small living organisms. They have a ‘coating’, like a mucus for example, surrounding their important parts. The mucus is the bacteria’s only form of protection.
In your body, white blood cells attack the mucus. Some white cells (mast and neutrophils) increase bloodflow and open up gates for other white cells. Some cells on the front lines actually eat (phagocytose) the bacteria, some pick pieces off the bacteria (antigens) and they carry it back to the battlefield base (lymph nodes). These pieces of the bacteria are then presented to T cells, which are killer cells. The T cells consult our biological computer (more on that later), download the configuration to kill the bacteria that matches the antigen, and head out to work.
Then its just a matter of time, bacteria grows, immune sysytem fights - you win or you lose…
BUT! We have antibiotics.
Antibiotics work by getting into the bloodstream and flooding the body. Their purpose is to destroy the protective wall around the bacteria, rendering it weak. They are so effective that a single dose can start a bacterial death cascade.
They are wonderful when needed, they actually saved my son’s life 4 years ago.
They are SPECIFIC to attacking bacteria, they dont work for anything else, like a cold or flu (which are viruses).
They also are non discriminative. Where the body’s cells avoid injuring good bacteria and our own cells, the antibiotics kill everything they can, including the good stuff.
So, what about the viruses?
Amazing creatures! Or not? Scientists aren’t sure and the game is split on whether they are living or dead. They have DNA as most living things, but they don’t breath (bacteria do), for the most part, they dont move, and mobility is a key to life. They do replicate, and they do it very well, which is also a key to life. Some can theoretically live hundreds of years and wake when disturbed, sorta like Facehuggers.
Anyway, a virus is encapsulated. What that means is it literally has a hard shell with some DNA and replication equipment inside. It gets passed into the body same as bacteria (mouth, eyes, ears, open wounds). But, once inside, it’s a different world. They’re much, much smaller than bacteria and much smaller than human cells.
The virus quickly attaches to a host cell so it can’t be detected by the immune system. Then it begins surgery. First thing it does is drill a hole in the host (your) cell. Then it goes in, finds your DNA and reprograms your cell, telling it that its job is to produce more virus and to keep the reproduced virus INSIDE your cell, so your immune system doesn’t realize it's there.
Eventually a critical mass is reached and your cell explodes, pouring out millions of virus cells that all make bee lines for healthy cells to infect. Rinse, repeat...
At some point the immune system responds as it does with bacteria (though with slightly different methods and fighters). Front line cells fight, some cells bring pieces of the virus to the T cells, T cells program up and go fight the virus. Huzzah!
Note, this is why viruses hit fast. One becomes a thousand, becomes hundreds of thousand, to millions, in a geometric series.
Viruses are also immune to antibiotics as they have a hard shell that antibiotics dont touch. Taking antibiotics for a virus will only work at killing your own ‘good’ cells and bacteria.
Again, its a wait and see situation - either the virus will die out, the immune system will win, or the virus will win (and you lose big)
So, why is the Corona different from the virus above?
When those immune cells we have bring a piece of the invader back to present it to T cells, the T cells reach into a biological memory bank of just about every disease ever known to humankind. Every disease we’ve ever had get its pattern saved into our biological computer and that info is passed on genetically. You may never have had Scarlet Fever, but if someone at any point in your genetic history had it (which is likely), you can defend against it, the code for it was saved and passed on to you, it's 'in your genes'. The T cell logs in, finds Scarlet Fever, downloads the configuration, modifies itself and goes out to fight.
COVID-19 is new. ‘Novel’ means it’s the first of its kind, truly unique. ‘Novel’ also means trouble for us. We don’t have a code stored for it.
When our immune system is fighting and waiting for the big guns, the T cells to show up, the T cells are doing nothing. They were presented the virus, went to program themselves, but there’s nothing there. The T Killer cells, our best defense, are useless.
So, its up to our immune system to do the work without the tanks.
If your immune system is strong enough, you’ll start to win and hopefully will continue to win.
Trivia - Why feed a fever, starve a cold?
Its not solid advice, just a general passed down saying but it means if you feed a cold (usually bacterial) you’re feeding the bacteria. When you feed a fever (usually viral) you’re supporting your immune system in a fight.
Though, in this case, plenty of water and nutrition will be helpful in the fight without a doubt.
What to do?
Keep social distancing, at least until the sci boys and girls have solid information on what this is and the scope of it.
We know this is contagious, we know this kills, we know it is easily transmitted though air and touch.
We don't know how deadly it is, we don't know if the illnesses we're seeing are only first stage, we have no idea if there are long term effects ('Children of Men' anyone?), etc...
Keep informed through the CDC CDC Works 24/7 and NJ Health authorities https://www.nj.gov/health/ , Google is not a health website.
Any questions ask away.
As many of you know, Carla seems to have had this, she told me she understands how it can kill people.
Figured I’d pass it on. IT IS VERY BASIC and nowhere near as elaborate as any single step in any of the descriptions is. Any questions, post em, I’ll get as doctorly as I can if you like.
So, an intro to disease and how we fight it.
IF you read it, I hope it give you some insight.
Were covered with aliens
Our bodies are full of, and covered with, micro-organisms, or microbes. It’s suggested that for every human cell there are 8-12 times the amount of microbes.
Not all of them are bad. Most form colonies and help with everyday needs. Those on skin clean, those in the gut help us digest, etc… There are thousands of species that are helpful, and a few not so much.
The bad stuff
For the most part, the bad microbes fit in one of five categories:
Viruses, bacteria, fungus, worms, or more complex protozoa (like things transmitted by mosquitos)
Of these 2, bacteria and viruses are what we talk about at these times.
Bacteria
So, a bacterium is a living microbe. They become a problem when either a bad one gets in (eyes, nose, mouth) or when a good type inside us grows out of proportion and it’s noticed by our immune system.
Bacteria are small living organisms. They have a ‘coating’, like a mucus for example, surrounding their important parts. The mucus is the bacteria’s only form of protection.
In your body, white blood cells attack the mucus. Some white cells (mast and neutrophils) increase bloodflow and open up gates for other white cells. Some cells on the front lines actually eat (phagocytose) the bacteria, some pick pieces off the bacteria (antigens) and they carry it back to the battlefield base (lymph nodes). These pieces of the bacteria are then presented to T cells, which are killer cells. The T cells consult our biological computer (more on that later), download the configuration to kill the bacteria that matches the antigen, and head out to work.
Then its just a matter of time, bacteria grows, immune sysytem fights - you win or you lose…
BUT! We have antibiotics.
Antibiotics work by getting into the bloodstream and flooding the body. Their purpose is to destroy the protective wall around the bacteria, rendering it weak. They are so effective that a single dose can start a bacterial death cascade.
They are wonderful when needed, they actually saved my son’s life 4 years ago.
They are SPECIFIC to attacking bacteria, they dont work for anything else, like a cold or flu (which are viruses).
They also are non discriminative. Where the body’s cells avoid injuring good bacteria and our own cells, the antibiotics kill everything they can, including the good stuff.
So, what about the viruses?
Amazing creatures! Or not? Scientists aren’t sure and the game is split on whether they are living or dead. They have DNA as most living things, but they don’t breath (bacteria do), for the most part, they dont move, and mobility is a key to life. They do replicate, and they do it very well, which is also a key to life. Some can theoretically live hundreds of years and wake when disturbed, sorta like Facehuggers.
Anyway, a virus is encapsulated. What that means is it literally has a hard shell with some DNA and replication equipment inside. It gets passed into the body same as bacteria (mouth, eyes, ears, open wounds). But, once inside, it’s a different world. They’re much, much smaller than bacteria and much smaller than human cells.
The virus quickly attaches to a host cell so it can’t be detected by the immune system. Then it begins surgery. First thing it does is drill a hole in the host (your) cell. Then it goes in, finds your DNA and reprograms your cell, telling it that its job is to produce more virus and to keep the reproduced virus INSIDE your cell, so your immune system doesn’t realize it's there.
Eventually a critical mass is reached and your cell explodes, pouring out millions of virus cells that all make bee lines for healthy cells to infect. Rinse, repeat...
At some point the immune system responds as it does with bacteria (though with slightly different methods and fighters). Front line cells fight, some cells bring pieces of the virus to the T cells, T cells program up and go fight the virus. Huzzah!
Note, this is why viruses hit fast. One becomes a thousand, becomes hundreds of thousand, to millions, in a geometric series.
Viruses are also immune to antibiotics as they have a hard shell that antibiotics dont touch. Taking antibiotics for a virus will only work at killing your own ‘good’ cells and bacteria.
Again, its a wait and see situation - either the virus will die out, the immune system will win, or the virus will win (and you lose big)
So, why is the Corona different from the virus above?
When those immune cells we have bring a piece of the invader back to present it to T cells, the T cells reach into a biological memory bank of just about every disease ever known to humankind. Every disease we’ve ever had get its pattern saved into our biological computer and that info is passed on genetically. You may never have had Scarlet Fever, but if someone at any point in your genetic history had it (which is likely), you can defend against it, the code for it was saved and passed on to you, it's 'in your genes'. The T cell logs in, finds Scarlet Fever, downloads the configuration, modifies itself and goes out to fight.
COVID-19 is new. ‘Novel’ means it’s the first of its kind, truly unique. ‘Novel’ also means trouble for us. We don’t have a code stored for it.
When our immune system is fighting and waiting for the big guns, the T cells to show up, the T cells are doing nothing. They were presented the virus, went to program themselves, but there’s nothing there. The T Killer cells, our best defense, are useless.
So, its up to our immune system to do the work without the tanks.
If your immune system is strong enough, you’ll start to win and hopefully will continue to win.
Trivia - Why feed a fever, starve a cold?
Its not solid advice, just a general passed down saying but it means if you feed a cold (usually bacterial) you’re feeding the bacteria. When you feed a fever (usually viral) you’re supporting your immune system in a fight.
Though, in this case, plenty of water and nutrition will be helpful in the fight without a doubt.
What to do?
Keep social distancing, at least until the sci boys and girls have solid information on what this is and the scope of it.
We know this is contagious, we know this kills, we know it is easily transmitted though air and touch.
We don't know how deadly it is, we don't know if the illnesses we're seeing are only first stage, we have no idea if there are long term effects ('Children of Men' anyone?), etc...
Keep informed through the CDC CDC Works 24/7 and NJ Health authorities https://www.nj.gov/health/ , Google is not a health website.
Any questions ask away.
As many of you know, Carla seems to have had this, she told me she understands how it can kill people.
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