finalized this graphic that I began last week to help distract from the searing pain of a SECOND #shingles reactivation within the span of 12 months, all due to the inflammatory response and subsequent immune reaction to #LongCovid, one of many #postviral illnesses, all without a cure or formal treatment.
Because of biology, yes, but mostly? Because of money.
The biological factor is one that we can - theoretically, at this stage in our evolution and advancements - begin to innovate around. The biological argument is that the difficulty in curing viruses is that they’re technically not alive: they depend on the "machinery" within our cells to reproduce. This makes it so that a drug that targets any part of the viral, parasitic cycle could further harm the patient. Antivirals need to attack the illness and not the person, which is where cellular-level innovation must happen. Brilliant minds are needed to tackle this, as we surely aren’t at the ceiling of our medical knowledge.
And while viruses are also more distinct from one another than bacteria (why antibiotics are more of a thing than antivirals), and require individual cures, money holds the innovation back.
It’s no secret that insurance companies profit off of chronic illness. But drug companies? They’re culprits. Developing drugs for viruses requires time and resources/money, and little is made in curing many distinct viruses, especially ones that don’t have high fatality rates.
But this is where we’re missing the big picture, overlooking post-viral illness and how rampant and debilitating they are, both personally and societally.
Long Covid is waking us up but we can’t miss the call.
Viruses such as the herpes virus triggers numerous post-viral illnesses. At a certain point we must attempt.
Biology hurdles can be learned through; money hurdles can be rectified by better utilizing the global wealth.
We’re smarter than this. Let’s not let viruses outsmart humanity any longer: lives, health, the economy and our future depend upon it.
Let’s not let our #ableism and #capitalism obsessions kill or disable us all in time.
(Sources in comments.)