Eradicating Flu

I must admit, I'm not enjoying this daily posting thing, I have very little to say. I'll persevere for the time being though. The summer heatwave seems to have died down, so that's one excuse I can't use anymore.

Earlier today I was getting on my Twitter soapbox a little in regard the coronavirus issue, so I'll talk about that. The quest to eradicate the virus seems unabated. What triggered me in particular was seeing Dominic Cummings retreat a thread from a corona-busting scientist who was discussing nasal vaccines to stop the spread of the virus.

From the very start it was always my feeling that a standard seasonal virus had been taken and hyped up into something more scary. However, it was only partly through the crisis that I realised that the people running the corona show were ideologically bent on eradicating cold and flu viruses completely.

At one point Bill Gates even spoke on TV stating that one of the long term aims was to "eradicate" flu.

It seems that many of these people at the top - that really believe in science - believe that at some point it will cure all disease. This all overlaps quite heavily with the concept of the singularity, which is basically the point at which technology becomes so advanced it becomes self-perpetuating, and beyond the control of man. Some of those invested in this idea believe if they can live long enough to witness this moment in history they will go on to live forever. Or at least a very, very long time. As the technology will conquer the problems of aging and death.

All this will no doubt sound farfetched to the average person, but a quick Google search for the term will illustrate how serious many take the idea.

The concept of the singularity also overlaps somewhat with the idea of the coming Messianic Age. When the Mashiach arrives he will bring a great age of peace where all illness and want is eradicated, and a man one hundred years old will be viewed as a child. I don't think many religious believers see the Messianic Age through such a materialistic lens, but for those of a slightly more atheistic bent the parallels are quite appealing. With technology ushering in everything that only God could once promise.

As you can no doubt gather from my own tone I'm somewhat sceptical. I fear scientism has become the religion of our ruling elite, and they worship it beyond all else. Convinced it will bring them what money cannot buy.

To return to the flu though, which is now a key battleground in this ideological crusade, my views are somewhat different.

Firstly I very much doubt that common cold and flu viruses can be completely eradicated. Even if they are however I fear they'll just be replaced with something else. Nature won't allow an ecological vacuum to exist. Humans can't be sterile environments, there'll always be viruses and bacteria hanging around. So why eradicate the 'mild' ones when something less mild may replace it. Haven't we learnt this lesson with antibiotic resistance?

Then secondly I also wonder if flus and colds are beneficial in someway. They're a common, seasonal experience for humans. They're a normal part of life, so perhaps it's for a reason. Maybe they help the body repair or do other necessary things. After all, we have good bacteria as well as bad, so why not viruses too. Just because colds aren't nice as an experience doesn't mean they're necessarily bad full stop. Perhaps the human body needs to have this functionality. Is it a good idea to stop people going through these snotty processes? I wonder.