I’ve been compiling a compelling list since last year. If there’s nothing else on the agenda, I can write about 20-something topics. Interestingly, I’ve titled it ‘virus.’ Let me explain why. Those close to me know; this virus is one of my favorite topics.
Why? Because viruses are microscopic infectious agents that can infect living cells and thus replicate (Wikipedia). Viruses can infect all forms of life, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. This means that humans and other living things made up of living cells can become infected and die from viruses. They can even become a pandemic, as we’re experiencing today with the coronavirus, threatening the lives of millions. An even more extreme scenario: if precautions aren’t taken, a highly lethal and rapidly spreading virus could wipe out humanity. This isn’t a joke; it’s real. I’ve been aware of this danger for over 10 years, based on my reading of it from various sources, and I’ve been mentioning it in conversations from time to time.
The Pharmaceutical Industry’s Suppression-Based Attitude
What’s even more bizarre is that the pharmaceutical industry, which deals with these life-threatening viruses, has generally focused on suppressing and creating an industry around them rather than eradicating them. Let me give you two examples:
First, during my teenage years, there was a basketball player named Magic Johnson. Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, one of the NBA’s most iconic players, was the NBA’s assist king. Johnson had the unparalleled career statistics of 17,707 points, 10,141 assists, 6,559 rebounds, and 1,724 steals. In fact, he holds the all-time NBA record for assists per game with 11.2 assists. Now, the fact that such a superstar announced he had HIV during the 1991 season, and that HIV is a virus that can turn into AIDS, came as a shock to everyone at the time. Everyone, including me, thought he had only a year or two to live.
Magic Johnson is still alive today. There are people living with HIV in this world who have lived longer than Johnson, now 61. This is made possible by the HIV medication he takes daily. The daily pill prevents the HIV virus from turning into AIDS, and Magic Johnson continues to live. Learning these details immediately reminded me of the system set up by the pharmaceutical industry. Can you imagine taking significant amounts of medication every day for the rest of your life, suppressing the virus but not killing it? Why?
Why isn’t eradication targeted?
So, according to my logic, pharmaceutical companies that succeed in suppressing this virus should also be able to wipe it out completely. So why don’t they do it? Now, I look at the business logic, and I think of the cash flow and incredible profits you generate from a patient you’ve connected to for the rest of their lives. But if that patient took a drug that kills the virus as soon as they heard about the virus, they wouldn’t generate that kind of cash flow, would they?
Now, I’m sure my friends in the pharmaceutical industry will object to what I’m saying. I’m sure they’ll point out how expensive it is to do R&D for these drugs. I smiled at them and repeated over and over, “But why don’t you aim to kill it? You’ll most definitely find a way to eliminate this virus while suppressing it, especially when you have billions of dollars in funds at your disposal.”
My Grandmother and Chickenpox
The second example comes from my own experience. Two years ago, my grandmother developed allergy-like lesions on her skin. When doctors examined her, they said they were due to chickenpox she had as a child. To be more specific, my grandmother somehow contracted the chickenpox virus, medically known as Varicella Zoster, as a child. We all know chickenpox from the vaccine; it’s a very unpleasant thing, but the vaccine is necessary because chickenpox outbreaks were also a very serious problem back in the day. Chickenpox usually presents with blisters and rashes on the body, leaving children weak and tired.
Can you imagine? My grandmother, who had chickenpox as a child, probably due to her weakened immune system (none of us know why), returned after she turned 90. This means the virus is reactivating. That’s why, after my grandmother’s death, I’ve been obsessing over this virus, which I’ve been discussing for over 10 years, for the last two. This virus issue has become personal for me. I’ve even wondered, “If I ever reach my desired position, should I develop a system that can quickly make successful results available to the public through sustainable R&D focused on eradicating viruses?”
The Seriousness of the Pandemic
Getting back to the topic, one of the many things on my mind was viruses. When the first news of the coronavirus broke in China, I thought, “Oh no, another dangerous virus has emerged.” But to be honest, I never thought it would be worse than SARS. In fact, I remember thinking to myself, “The Chinese will take care of this again.” As I read about the news about this coronavirus weekly, I started to feel a little uneasy. My anxiety grew as I read about the Chinese establishing hospitals and all the serious steps, they were taking to address this. Whenever I read that this virus had spread beyond China, my anxiety increased tenfold. But I still believed this could remain regional and not become a global epidemic. I kept telling myself, “They kept Ebola in Africa, they can keep COVID-19 in Asia.” However, when the outbreak spread to Italy and other European countries and I read about their experiences, my mind changed, and I began to believe that the days were numbered before this epidemic reached Turkey. I even started making small preparations and warning my circle.
During this period, interesting jokes started to emerge. Some of these were related to new types of greetings: https://www.msn.com/tr-tr/video/haber/kortakorkusu-ile-ortaya-çıkan-yeni-selamlaşma-tarzı/vi-BB10L4aE
Some were also jokes unique to our country. Here are some of them:
And now in Turkey…
After it was officially announced last week that the pandemic had spread to Turkey, the worst-case scenario I predicted quickly began to come true. On 11 March 2020, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that a person in Turkey had been diagnosed with COVID-19. The minister stated that the patient was male and in good general condition, and that the patient’s family and all members of his immediate circle were under observation. You can read the news at https://tr.euronews.com/2020/03/10/sagl-k-bakan-koca-koronavirus-covid-19-salg-n-ile-ilgili-ac-klama-yap-yor .
I remember telling my close circle that this virus would spread very rapidly because public awareness hadn’t yet developed, saying, “I hope we don’t end up like Italy; we’ll get this epidemic under control as soon as possible.” Of course, despite some delayed statements on certain issues, I can say that our government is doing its best and is even more proactive than many other countries around the world. However, whether these actions are sufficient and timely is a matter of debate.
The behavior of our football federation, which holds autonomous status outside the government, is recognized by FIFA, and is a member of FIFA, deeply disturbed me. Can you imagine, the epidemic has emerged in the country, its outbreak is only a matter of time, and you decide to play behind closed doors. Let’s put aside the fact that, as Galatasaray fans, you made Sivas play with fans, one of the most difficult away games, and the injustice of playing Beşiktaş, one of the most critical home games, behind closed doors. Even sitting at home, we were worried. How can that player even come out and play? Why are you risking the lives of not only the players but also the technical staff, security, and all the officials assigned to the stadium? Don’t you even consider human health? The European leagues we look to as a reference point have been postponed, the 2020 European Championship has been postponed to 2021, and our team is still saying, “Let them play behind closed doors.” It’s a shame. What I’m saying also applies to the basketball federation, another contact sport. Federations that don’t consider human health have acted against the spirit of sport.
Add to this, when we add the still-lacking public awareness of the pandemic, I predict we could face serious problems. However, the picture will become clearer in the next week or two. Of course, some expert videos, such as the one below, began to reach me, suggesting there was no panic, and these videos also encouraged people to act more calmly:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9lj26PFWAa/?igshid=1r5eqcowbq41e
Other videos, like the one below from a young Cypriot, began reaching me to illustrate the seriousness of the situation:
Interesting reactions from unexpected people
As I shared these with my close circle, the vast majority understood the gravity of the situation, but some, curiously, responded with things like, “Serhan, don’t create such panic,” or “Don’t share any unconfirmed information.” I replied, “Be prepared, this is coming to Turkey. I’m not sending this to panic you; I’m sharing this so you can prepare.” It was strange to receive such interesting reactions from educated people, even from the NGO community. After all, the worst nightmare crises, the kind you’d only see in movies, are upon us, and for some reason, some still prefer to hide their heads in the sand like ostriches. Yet, leaders like us need to take action and do what’s necessary for themselves, their close circle, those in need, and our people.
And dear, let no one in our country say this virus won’t reach us. All it takes is for an infected person to come to your location. They might see that person hug them, shake hands, and then they can spread from one person to another, from one person to another, and so on. In other words, it’s very possible for this epidemic to spread to the most remote corner of the country in a short time. I can’t imagine the speed at which it spread, especially in a country like Turkey, which has a culture of “physical contact.”
Speaking for myself, as of Monday, 16 March, we returned to working from home in all offices under my supervision. I constantly encouraged my close circle to do the same. Even before this situation emerged in Turkey, we started carrying hygiene gel and cologne. This week, we also issued a “Stay Home” call at TİDER, the NGO Disaster Coordination Platform we work with, along with other NGOs we work with. Here’s TİDER’s “Stay Home” call:
I’ve also returned to working from home. I don’t go out unless necessary. I’d like to say that I find our site management successful. I’m sharing the announcement made on my own website with you. What’s written here essentially summarizes everything that needs to be done:
Announcement from the site management
Dear Site Residents, Suppliers, and Employees:
We feel compelled to share with you the precautions we’ve taken regarding the COVID-19 (Coronavirus), general information about the virus, and the information you need to ensure your personal protection.
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) virus is a family of viruses that share a common cold (MERS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), SARS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SAD) coronavirus.
According to research, the coronavirus is transmitted through contact with areas such as the mouth, eyes, and nose. These studies have not found any evidence that the virus is transmitted through the air.
The virus can be transmitted directly or indirectly when an infected individual sneezes or coughs on you or any surface you may come into contact with. If you think you are sick, you should wear a mask to protect those around you.
As you know, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has become a worldwide pandemic. Given that the coronavirus outbreak has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization and the measures taken in our country, precautions are being taken on our site to ensure the safety of our valued residents:
- We recommend that site management and our residents restrict service purchases and supplier entry and exit unless deemed necessary.
- We recommend that guests and suppliers arriving from outside the site wear masks, shoe covers, and disinfect their shoes before entering your residence.
- We recommend that you avoid placing orders unless they are essential. After receiving orders, adhere to hygiene guidelines, wear gloves, and place the package or packaging in a trash bag and leave it tied in front of your residence.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- If you experience symptoms such as a high fever, cough, or shortness of breath, seek medical attention immediately.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow when sneezing and coughing.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth without washing your hands.
- Ventilate enclosed spaces frequently. Avoid close contact with the elderly and chronically ill.
- Wearing a mask by uninfected individuals does not prevent the spread of the virus.
- It is crucial for individuals with symptoms of the disease to wear a mask, even if they have an allergic reaction.
- Contact with external surfaces should be avoided.
- Precautions should be taken in accordance with the recommendations of the Coronavirus Scientific Committee established within the Ministry of Health. You can find these measures below.
- The virus, whose global risk level has been raised from ‘high’ to ‘very high’ by the World Health Organization, is known to have the potential to spread very quickly in enclosed spaces. It is recommended to avoid crowded places and closed spaces.
- It is difficult to detect those who are not infected but carry the virus because they do not show symptoms. Therefore, as a precautionary measure to ensure the protection of both your colleagues and suppliers from the virus, it is deemed beneficial to postpone the opening of the site for the next three weeks, unless absolutely necessary, at the discretion of our residents.
We kindly request that this announcement be presented to our residents, suppliers, and staff for their information and consideration.
Sincerely,
Here are the 14 Rules, signed by Minister of Health Dr. Fahrettin Koca:
Social isolation and hygiene
The truth is, this virus, which has now become an epidemic (a worldwide pandemic), has become a major tragedy in many countries. High fever, shortness of breath, coughing, and a feeling of suffocation… We’re reading a lot about the insufficient supply of ventilators. Some countries’ healthcare sectors are experiencing significant difficulties treating the growing number of patients. Of course, it’s commendable that healthcare workers are risking their lives and fighting this battle on the front lines for humanity.
This epidemic is currently in our own country. The number of cases has quickly reached hundreds. It’s also possible that these numbers could reach thousands quickly, as the disease spreads so quickly. Taking precautions in the early stages of the disease can delay or prevent the virus from reaching the lungs. Here’s a visual:
You can read all the detailed information about the COVID-19 virus, which is a member of the coronavirus family, the precautions taken against the outbreak, and what to do on the official website of the Turkish Ministry of Health: https://hsgm.saglik.gov.tr/tr/covid19
At this stage, I want to emphasize that older people are especially at risk. Please let’s act with the elderly in mind.
Speaking for myself, the day I first learned that the pandemic had spread to Italy, I called my aunt and told her that no one should come near my grandmother. I call my grandmother every day, explaining why I haven’t been there. This will continue for a while. Her presence is invaluable to us.
Follow social distancing and hygiene rules for yourself and your loved ones. Be mindful of the elderly in your immediate circle and don’t let anyone near them. There’s also a legitimate reaction from animal lovers. A common misconception is that cats and dogs can’t transmit this virus. Here’s a related image:
In my next article, I’ll provide more details about the coronavirus and highlight examples from around the world.
May God grant all of Turkey, especially healthcare workers, the strength to cope with the illnesses and hardships arising from the coronavirus pandemic.
Stay healthy.
*Banner official source: Ege Haber
Tag: health
