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Notions of “coronavirus” from the perspective of a clinical immunologist and medical historian

2020; IOS Press; Volume: 74; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3233/ch-209002

1875-8622

Folker Wenzel,

Empathy and Medical Education

The following notions and the selective literature review should show by mankind already conceived and survived considerations, which are maybe helpful to understand and easier endure the instantaneous "coronavirus" situation.This day and age is not the only one to be hidden by such events, and will also not be the last one.From my point of view our solidarity and humanity will decide to stay alive in the "after that".If somebody 6 months ago would teach that "keeping distance" is the most important rule to fight against a virus infection most people had not be agreed.Thoughts like a "high specific antibody triggered virus inactivation" (HSATVI) or a "medication guided viral infection intervention" (MGVII) seem much more interestingly (these termini are fictitious), naturally.But it is medical not directly helpful, it is helpful for a better understanding of diseases.And that's the conflict: Do you want a doctor, who though doesn't know why, but his patients are be healed, or a doctor saying: "I'm understanding very exactly what's happened, but nevertheless I'm not able to heal you.Naturally too, the human being makes a wish always for this doctor, who will unite both positive features, in contrast, one may gain experiences to meet those, who apparently understand nothing and can still not heal.And as a physician there is often by yourself no knowing, to which group you belong.Now take a look at a selective literature review: First of all, I would like to mention "Herbert Georg Wells" (1866-1946): HG Wells was a writer, historian and sociologist.His novel "The War of the Worlds" was published in 1898: In this novel he describes how aliens (so called Martians) subject the earth and begin to exterminate humanity.Due to technical superiority of the Martians, humans have no chance of countering the attacks of the aliens and seem to be in a lost position: but suddenly the aliens begin to die and humanity survives.Quote from the novel: " . . ..were the Martians-dead!-slain by the putrefactive and disease bacteria against which their systems were unprepared; slain as the red weed was being slain; slain, after all man's devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.. . . .But by virtue of this natural selection of our kind we have developed resisting power; . . . . . .By the toll of a billion deaths man has bought his birthright of the earth, and it is his against all comers; it would still be his were the Martians ten times as mighty as they are.For neither do men live nor die in vain.