The Coronavirus in 2020 has fed the perception that a virus is an invisible enemy which has us at its mercy. Perhaps we should go back and reiterate for ourselves as to what a virus is.
Even among scientists, the true nature of a virus is a mystery. We know that a virus differs from a bacterium which is a single-cell organism. So viruses are not cells. Many scientists classify viruses as non-living entities because they need a host cell to propagate. Others believe that they are a form of life because they contain genetic material, either DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) or RNA (Ribonucleic Acid).
So the controversy about viruses is that some consider that they are not living entities, while others believe them to be a form of life. One thing everyone agrees on is that they preceded bacteria and that most of them are many times smaller than a bacterium. You can’t, for the most part, see most viruses without an electron microscope.
The question, of course, arises, that if they preceded bacteria and if they need a host cell to survive, how did they ever come into existence in the first place? So the origins of viruses are a mystery.
There are different types of viruses; ones that insert their RNA or DNA to direct host cells to make more copies of themselves. Others such as a Retrovirus––AIDS is an example––use their RNA to produce DNA that then inserts itself into the host DNA and takes over the cell.
We know that humanity has always co-existed with viruses, and we all carry viral genetic material. Many people feel that they are helpless in the face of a virus. Sometimes we forget that we have a robust immune system, and if we nurture it and take care of it, we can deal with a virus.
A virus has intelligence, as has every cell in your body. The fact that viruses can mutate in response to environmental conditions speaks to the truth of this intelligence. We also have an innate intelligence within us that allows us to use our immune system and adapt to any invader.
In recent years much research has been done into what allows us to deal with all foreign invaders, including viruses. The immune system is imperative, but there is also a link with your brain, autonomic nervous system and your adrenal glands. We know that a balance of your flight or flight (Sympathetic) System with your relaxation (Parasympathetic) System, provides the best environment for a healthy functioning immune system.
We have to live with viruses; they are everywhere. However, how is it that one person can go decades without ever getting the flu, without ever receiving a vaccine? Yet another person, can get the vaccine and still succumb to the flu. I recently met a person who received two flu vaccines, and both times, developed the flu. In my case, I have never had a flu vaccine, and the last time I had the flu was 39 years ago, during a very stressful period of my life.
We’ve demonized viruses and victimized our ability to live with them. The reality is that viruses are part of our make-up, and will continue to be a part of our evolution. We need to change our mindset that we can get “rid” of them. Instead, we can boost our immune system. That includes maintaining vital and healthy nutrition, regular exercise and nurturing our nervous system through modalities such as meditation, chiropractic and yoga.
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