Yours Lovingly, Covid-19

Dear Humans,

I know you all are not at your best. You are worried about what is happening around the world right now. You are busy updating the latest statistics of the affected, the recovered and the dead among you around the world, country-wise, district-wise, and so on.  So, at first sight, my mail may make you angry or frustrated. I am not compelling you to read this, but if you do, I will be happy!

There are two sides to every coin. So please listen to what I would like to convey.

In case you haven’t heard of me before, I am from the Coronavirus family which belongs to the virus world. We are a family of viruses that range from the common cold to SARS (2003) and MERS (2012).  Your scientists have named me COVID-19, which is derived from ‘Corona Virus Disease 2019‘, the year they discovered us. To start with, let me tell you, we are not your enemies.

Just like you humans, we also do lots of experiments for the progress and betterment of our species. You like to test everything first on rats and other animals before humans, and we are also the same. Malaria, Polio, H1N1, Ebola, all, are our tests on animals and you got these diseases through them later. Thus, we could do indirect testing without extra effort.

We landed in China in November 2019 when we were confident enough to test on humans. We selected China because of the ease with which we could transition from animals to humans for the actual run. Our initial plan was to return to our world before your New Year 2020.

But then we heard some derogatory comments and remarks from humans about our capability in comparison with the common flu. This really hurt our feelings and lowered our confidence level. So we decided to extend our stay and test on more humans in other countries.

It was easy for us to travel within China as well as from one country to another mainly because of the transportation system called ‘handshaking’. We understand that it is the customary way of greeting among humans. As it was New-Year time we could use other kinds of greetings also for our travel. Your new age ‘globalization’ enabled us to travel to different countries and continents easily.

We were told by our ancestors that this planet is the most beautiful one in the solar system. But during our first few weeks here I thought they were wrong. The air was fully polluted. Rivers were contaminated. We could not see birds or animals anywhere except for a few pet dogs and cats. Human beings were always in a hurry. We met humans on busy roads, crowded parks, restaurants, shopping malls, airports, and so on, and everywhere it was the same.

But after a month or so the air and water became purer, and we started seeing more birds and animals and fewer humans. And the really odd sight was that when the air became purer humans started covering their face! I think this is a punishment for you humans from Mother Earth. As more humans stay indoors, nature has begun reclaiming its space.

You were dominating this earth so much that even birds could not fly peacefully and animals could not wander safely. You kill animals and birds for food, clothing and other accessories for which substitutes are easily available. The only exceptions are your pets. Don’t you realize that other animals also feel pain just like your pets?

By now, hopefully, you have a taste of how it feels to be caged and to die away from your dear ones! Imagine how animals feel when they know they will die within hours when you pack them tightly in vans. To top it all, after doing enough and more damage to your planet, you have now started searching for other habitable planets.

At least now, learn to accept other living creatures on your planet. Allow them to live with their family and die naturally. This place is meant for them too. Just because they are weaker, less intelligent (you think so), or look differently from you it does not mean that you are superior to them and you can decide their life for them. I am sure you will rethink about the correlation between size to superiority by now. (I am just a few nanometers in diameter!)

You may be cursing me for making you displaced and disoriented without any warning! With your modern-day medical awareness and knowledge, you considered yourselves safe from any pandemic. You did not expect such an outbreak, that too on such a global scale. I would like to apologize if I have hurt you badly. We are only doing experiments just like you humans. But there is food for thought: can you be sure that your visit to other planets will not cause a pandemic there like my visit to yours?

I am sure you can conquer me within months if you all try together and believe in universal brotherhood. Please take this opportunity to introspect and practise peaceful coexistence. I know all epidemics have changed the course of human history. This too will pass, but it will be etched in the leaves of world history in bold letters. And you will never be the same!
All the best for all your ‘future’ endeavours!

Yours lovingly,
COVID-19

PS: What would you do first after my disappearance from your planet?