Controlling Nature with Virus Research - Tablet Magazine

Controlling Nature with Virus Research - Tablet Magazine

Norman Doidge: "Perhaps the biggest problem with the military metaphor, is how it causes us to narrow our focus almost exclusively on 'eradicating the virus,' and 'cases of the infected.' This causes us to miss other important ways of dealing with it, that might help us survive it. Public health officials in the 'the eradication mode' almost never mention how we can boost our immune systems with vitamins D and C, and zinc, exercise and weight loss. Not their focus. And the narrow focus on eradicating the virus is now causing serious 'collateral' harm and death...

"Antibiotic overuse has also occurred, I would argue, because of the military metaphor in medicine, and the eradication mentality. Pathogens are the enemy, and we have a weapon, so we must use it, to eradicate them. Initially we used these drugs for serious illnesses, and then eventually for more and more trivial ones, and often preemptively, as in a dentist's office. Their overuse is dangerous for many reasons, not least of which is that we are filled with many different kinds of organisms, some of which are very good for us, and which even support our immune and other systems, and while antibiotics can indeed kill off 'the enemy pathogens,' they also kill off these good bacteria. The problem is also that 'the bad bacteria' can develop mutations, and evolve, and the more they are needlessly exposed to antibiotics, the more opportunity they have to develop a means of resisting the antibiotics we have. There are now a number of deadly illnesses that we could once treat, that we no longer can. This is a crisis that did not have to occur--a classic case, of the irresistible immoderation generated by the conquest of nature delusion."

Doidge discusses and links to the work of Janelle S. Ayres on COVID-19, Type 2 Diabetes, and metabolism.