By Robert Kernodle
Figure 1. NASA satellite image showing the two most frequent meteorological scenarios where huge quantities of viruses and bacteria are deposited in the high mountains of Sierra Nevada, Spain and at a global scale: (1) Viruses are transported by Atlantic Ocean depressions, and (2) bacteria are transported by Saharan dust intrusions.
Apparently, the fact that viruses rein rain down on Earth by the billions-per-square-meter each day is old news. If you Bing the phrase, viruses falling from the sky, then you will retrieve page after page of links to stories that proclaim this amazing fact. Those links lead primarily to stories published online during the year 2018. These stories appeared on websites of major news outlets — where was I? — how did I miss this? I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t abducted by aliens.
The more important question might be, Why is this old news seemingly newly relevant to the present times?
Invariably, the major focus of all those 2018 internet stories was an article appearing in the Journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME Journal), a cooperative effort between owner ISME and publisher Springer Nature:
Reche, I., D’Orta, G., Mladenov, N. et al. Deposition rates of viruses and bacteria above the atmospheric boundary layer. ISME J 12, 1154–1162 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-017-0042-4
The main thrust of this article was that “aerosolization of soil-dust and organic aggregates in sea spray facilitates the long-range transport of bacteria, and likely viruses, across the free atmosphere.”
The word, aerosolization, is defined as the process or act of converting some physical substance into the form of particles small and light enough to be carried on the air (i.e. into an aerosol).
From the body of the article:
We quantified the wet and dry deposition of (free and attached) viruses and bacteria above the atmospheric boundary layer at the Observatory (OSN) and Veleta Peak (VSN) in Spain, and demonstrated that in each square meter, tens of millions of bacteria and billions of viruses are deposited each day.
The phrase, atmospheric boundary layer, for those (like me) unfamiliar with the concept), is also known as the planetary boundary layer. What is it?
According to A. Molod, H. Salmun, M. Dempsey (2015). Estimating Planetary Boundary Layer Heights from NOAA Profiler Network Wind Profiler Data, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 32(9) https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/JTECH-D-14-00155.1
The planetary boundary layer (PBL) is the shallow layer of the troposphere nearest to the Earth’s surface that, particularly over land, exhibits a diurnal variation due to the exchange of energy and momentum between the surface and the atmosphere. The depth of the PBL can range from less than one hundred meters to several kilometers. Knowledge of the PBL depth and its fluctuations in time are also essential for the estimation of the transport of atmospheric constituents, and in particular to estimate the terms in the atmospheric carbon budget.
Figure 2. Visualization of the planetary boundary layer or atmospheric boundary layer, from www.skybrary.aero
The authors of the ISME paper, thus, confidently state that long-range transport of viruses and bacteria occur, but admit that there are many uncertainties associated with deposition rates of viruses and bacteria. Nonetheless, they claim to demonstrate in their study that, above the atmospheric boundary layer,
downward flux of viruses ranged from 260,000,000 to greater than 7,000,000,000 per square meter per day. These deposition rates, they further assert, were 9 to 461 times greater than the rates for bacteria, which ranged from 3,000,000 to greater than 80,000,000 per square meter per day.
Viralpocalypse?
So, viruses can be carried on the air of Earth’s atmosphere (billions and billions of them), and they can be carried long distances in this manner, say, from one continent to another. Should this terrify us? Before approaching such a question, let’s consider some basics, like how many types of viruses there are, and how prolific viruses are on the planet.
In plowing through the internet, looking for an answer to the question of how many different viruses there are, I haven’t found a clear and straightforward answer. As near as I can tell, we really do not know how many there are, but the number is huge, which means that the venture of discovering new viruses seems to be an active scientific endeavor.
Also, given their large number and prolific presence on the planet, viruses mutate all the time, thus adding more new types to the already vast collection. And then there are the labs that experiment with viruses — who knows how many different human-created types are out there that ordinary people do not know about? [but that’s another topic]
A statement by Berliner et al. — in Aaron J. Berliner, Tomohiro Mochizuki, and Kenneth M. Stedman (2018). Astrovirology: Viruses at Large in the Universe, Astrobiology, Volume 18, Number 2
https://drpaulroth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Astrovirology.pdf —
summarizes it nicely:
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on modern Earth. They are highly diverse both in structure and genomic sequence, play critical roles in evolution, strongly influence terrain biogeochemistry, and are believed to have played important roles in the origin and evolution of life.
The takeaway from this statement is that humans probably would not exist without viruses. In other words, one of the reasons for our being is also one of the reasons for our dying. Life is strange this way — replete with seeming contradictions, or, at least, oppositions that tend to balance one another.
Let’s incorporate this insight, as we get back to the question of whether virus transport in Earth’s atmosphere should terrify us. Consider these key statements from the Reche et al article:
Despite the high genetic diversity within viral communities, the observation has been repeatedly made that identical or nearly identical virus sequences can be found in widely separated environments that are environmentally very different.
Viruses and bacteria are usually not air-dispersed as free particles, but are attached to soil-dust or marine organic aggregates.
Based on what could be detached by washing in buffer and mechanical forces, ~69% of viruses and ~97% of bacteria deposited from the atmosphere were attached to dust or organic aggregates.
After reading those statements, my mind goes to particulate pollution and possible increased opportunity for viruses to attach to these particulates. Next, I think of China, New York, and the major polluted parts of Italy and Spain, as these places seemingly suffer the devastation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. But then I have to keep in mind that most viruses are not harmful to humans — they are fundamental features of the planet, which would make them integral parts of the proverbial natural order.
Next, I have to wonder what are the statistical odds that a virus harmful to humans is a virus that could hitch a ride on dust or sea spray or air pollution (if this is even possible).
And here is where my ignorance shows itself — I have no idea. That’s one reason I wrote this article — to raise the question and hopefully gain more knowledge from insightful people who might help with an answer.
Figure 3. T4 bacteriophage joins artist, Luis Falero’s 1878 painting, “Vision Of Faust”, in a digital manipulation by Robert Kernodle
In the meantime, I have probed deeper into the philosophical question of death itself, in asking this: If death is a part of life, and viruses are natural parts of life as we know it, then is a death caused by a virus a death by “natural causes”? What exactly is a death by natural causes? What exactly is death by old age? Are the old who are dying allegedly because of the SARS-CoV-2 virus undergoing the dying process of old age? Is that part of what it means to die of old age?
Is our current fear of COVID-19 a fear spawned of childish fragmentation from reality, where we have grown so accustomed to the protections and comforts of our modern civilizations that we have lost touch with survival of the fittest? — during an era when so many people are physically unfit?
Is our current fear a result of an unprecedented number of people coming to terms with the very idea of death for the first time? — young people (constantly interacting electronically), wanting to live forever, watching older people succumb to a seemingly routine process?
Is our current fear, therefore, irrational, as it causes leaders to halt the operation of civilization, in a panic to protect life? I certainly have my own answer to this last question, which is yes — an answer that I have held onto, since day one of the first shutdown.
END
WHAT ? No one has said it yet ?
The sky IS falling !
Chicken Little knew !!
😉
Relative to the current Covid-19 pandemic, mention has been made of “herd-immunity” vs lockdown. The question I have not seen debated is how long can an individual be isolated from the herd before he/she/it starts losing said herd immunity. Relative to us humans, how long can we safely “self-isolate” before we start losing the “herd-immunity” we may have built up against other pathogens and become vulnerable?
Actual Deaths (23,000: almost twice the number of confirmed deaths)
As of May 1, New York City reported 13,156 confirmed deaths and 5,126 probable deaths (deaths with COVID-19 on the death certificate but no laboratory test performed), for a total of 18,282 deaths [source]. The CDC on May 11 released its “Preliminary Estimate of Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Outbreak — New York City, March 11–May 2, 2020” [source] in which it calculated an estimate of actual COVID-19 deaths in NYC by analyzing the “excess deaths” (defined as “the number of deaths above expected seasonal baseline levels, regardless of the reported cause of death”) and found that, in addition to the confirmed and probable deaths reported by the city, there were an estimated 5,293 more deaths to be attributed. After adjusting for the previous day (May 1), we get 5,148 additional deaths, for a total of actual deaths of 13,156 confirmed + 5,126 probable + 5,148 additional excess deaths calculated by CDC = 23,430 actual COVID-19 deaths as of May 1, 2020 in New York City.
Infection Fatality Rate (23k / 1.7M = 1.4% IFR)
Actual Cases with an outcome as of May 1 = estimated actual recovered (1,671,351) + estimated actual deaths (23,430) = 1,694,781.
Infection Fatality Rate (IFR) = Deaths / Cases = 23,430 / 1,694,781 = 1.4% (1.4% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have a fatal outcome, while 98.6% recover).
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-rate/
Just saw this gem:
https://www.zerohedge.com/health/study-points-covid-19-lab-creation-lead-author-suggests-forced-selection-vs-genetic
The researcher should have checked ferrets, used as models for human lungs in Bat Woman Shi’s dangerous gain of function “research” in 2014 at UNC, and, after losing US funding, at the new BSL-4 lab in Wuhan.
Such directed evolution in a lab would be indistinguishable from natural selection in the wild. No genetic engineering, gene splicing, required.
Evidence grows that Coronavirus was man-made: the bat virus it “evolved” from appears to be faked
http://joannenova.com.au/2020/05/is-coronavirus-man-made-the-bat-virus-it-evolved-from-appears-to-be-faked/
Good article. Kudos to the informant, if indeed he be a Chinese scientist.
There is a monor error. While the first mention of the genetic code correctly says U, from there on it’s T, which is right for DNA but wrong for RNA. The nucleobase uracil is the demethylated form of thymine. the other three nucleobases are the same in both genetic nucleic acids.
Minor. Shaky finger phone typing.
Which story do you believe, seafood market crossover or escaped from lab? Other?
Preponderance of evidence IMO is that the virus was created by Shi’s crazily dangerous gain of function “research” in the WIV’s new BSL-4 lab. Whether it was released on purpose or accidentally escaped, I cannot say. But with Communists, it’s prudent to assume the worst. Even covering up and lying about an unintentional release is criminal.
Thnx
I just found this:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.15.20065995v2
The question of viability of the viruses en l’air is raised.
To my knowledge, nobody else has used the phrase “viruses en l’air” [I made it up — “en l’air” means “in the air” — appropriated from my ballet days — did he say ballet?! — what can I say, I have an unusual, varied background]
Thanks.
Virions aerosolized by cough or sneeze can probably survive for some time in air close to the ground. Whether they can be swept up into weather systems and carried intercontinentally still effective, I don’t know. IMO it generally takes the kind of concentrations found indoors to cause sufficient infection for COVID symptoms to arise.
Have there been cases definitely contracted out of doors?
https://cosmictusk.com/coronavirus-from-space-wickramasinghe/
Let us spice things up
If virions exist in space, then prokaryotes would also have to inhabit asteroids and comets. Viruses can’t replicate without hijacking cellular organisms’ reproductive machinery.
Wickramasinghe can’t rule out life arising on Earth, aided by its building blocks (but not organisms) arriving on meteorites. The gap between complex organic compounds and prokaryotes isn’t as great as he imagines. It’s filled with such near- or sub-biological entities as prions (misfolded proteins) and Mobile Genetic Elements, eg plasmids, transposons and viruses.
The building blocks of life self-assemble both in space and on Earth. The required chemical engineering trick is to polymerize them without modern enzymes.
OTOH:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079610718300798
Cause of Cambrian Explosion – Terrestrial or Cosmic?
Knowing how many falling per square meter seems without context. You would think they would mention the number of virus particles per square meter in isolation, both indoors and outdoors. Surely if we can measure whats falling we can measure whats there.
In any event, your point is right. Viruses make up life. Animals and humans immune have evolved for millions of years dealing with a constantly changing population of viruses. 10% or more of the human genome is made of viral DNA. Thousands of viruses are present in our bodies and some of them help in ways such as helping us fight off certain harmful bacteria. Others are harmless passengers and we know little of them and their role in health.
Obviously new viruses can cause some harm. But our genetic diversity is so large those who succumb will always be a minority. Many will be naturally immune and don’t need to even generate antibodies as their innate immune system does the job. Many will develop antibodies and then have protective immunity. A few wont survive. Natural selection. As a species we become stronger. Something called evolution.
Pft wrote:
Could you explain what you mean by “number of virus particles per square meter in isolation”?
The study you are referring to was not a study about indoors vs outdoors — it was a study about viral-particle deposition at/in the planetary boundary layer. That IS the context of the “per square meter” figures. The context seemed to me to be clearly stated.
I would imagine that how many particles from the atmosphere make it into indoor environments would be highly variable, depending on many factors associated with specific location, specific ventilation, specific local air movement, building construction, and a host of other things.
To quote Mike Rowe, from various interviews he did recently: “Safety is third.”
There is much wrist wringing over a biologically typical process. The current theatrics of the revelation of the power of death is a result of a materialist society of man-children having their eyes held open to the destructive force of our world. Yet, this destructive force is as old as earth itself: mother nature, and she’s a cruel, impartial dame.
I have been trying to find an answer to this question for several months, now. The fact that members of tribes in South America, with little or no outside contacts are catching Covid-19. How is that even possible? The only answer is the virus is somehow reaching them, from China or wherever. I’ve wondered if there is a vector, like a mosquito or o a bird, often seen with other viruses. The other possibility would be the winds. The prevailing winds over the northern hemisphere blows from the West/Northwest, coming in from either Asia or the North pole regions. The only fly in this ointment, though, is the fact that Australia, in the Southern hemisphere, has had as much exposure as the Northern hemisphere has had. But I am glad that SOMEONE is finally taking a look at this side of it! According to the Chinese, viruses REQUIRE a vector to be effective. So, what IS the vector here? The Chinese have been studying this a lot longer than America has!
No need to invoke intercontinental carriage of viruses on trade winds. All Amazonian tribal people infected have had contact with visitors from the outside world. They live in close quarters. Transmission is to be expected.
Perhaps some sort of hat would be in order
Viruses have certainly played a very important part in the evolution of life, but they could not have played any part in the origins of life. Viruses depend upon the genetic machinery of their hosts to replicate, and therefore could not have existed until well after life had been established.
It’s possible that before protocells evolved, something like viruses existed, bits of RNA wrapped in protein or at least peptides. Such a replicant would also resemble a ribosome, the structures in cells on which proteins are assembled following nucleic acid-coded instructions.
In a solution of many organic compounds, ie primordial soup, free amino acids would be available, so such a replicant might not need metabolism, such as cellular organisms enjoy.
If not viruses, then even smaller, simpler viroids (.Pdf download):
Viroids-First—A Model for Life on Earth, Mars and Exoplanets
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333399008_Viroids-First-A_Model_for_Life_on_Earth_Mars_and_Exoplanets
An hypothesis from 1989 revived in this paper from 2019.
Circular RNAs: relics of precellular evolution?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2480600
It’s just amazing how human life is even possible on this planet.
It must be God.
Just a quick question. How did they count all the viruses falling from the sky? With a tweezer and a microscope? Good work if you can get it.
Christopher Paino asked:
The ISME Journal article describes how in detail, in the “Materials and Methods” section, but I cannot comprehend it, since I have no familiarity with any of the devices to which they refer or any of the separation/staining/counting methodologies to which they refer.
You get a gold star, if you have this specialized knowledge and can understand how the researchers did it. (^_^)
It’s sort of like asking, “How did ice-core scientists count the number of CO2 molecules in fossilized air from hundreds of thousands of years ago?” I’ve questioned whether this is truly possible before, but I often use a measure of amateur faith that it CAN be done, in some of my arguments against CO2 climacatastrophism.
Disease from space, and the well published work of Sir Fred Hoyle and Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, was never adequately refuted, only dismissed and forgotten: https://cosmictusk.com/covid-from-space-wickramasinghe-virus-hoyle/
Highly unlikely that WuWHOFlu virus came from space.
However Russian scientists claim to have found terrestrial bacterial DNA on dust from windows of the ISS:
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2018/7360147/
The DNA of Bacteria of the World Ocean and the Earth in Cosmic Dust at the International Space Station
That’s right, John Tillam, good find of a incredibly underreported study! Note the lead author Grebennikova published with Wickramasinghe et al., immediately after the ISS annoucement publication — supporting a space origin for bio scum on the ISS windows. I think it is significant that the scientist who handled and characterized these profoundly important materials (essentially the discovery of life in space) immediately joined the most heretical but well-credentialed worked on the subject, Dr. Chandra Wickramasinghe. I have posted both papers on my blog here: https://cosmictusk.com/virus-and-disease-from-space-international-space-station-life-panspermia/ Just to note for readers, the viruses make their in-fall deeply encased in cosmic dust particles which are orders of magnitude larger than they are, which provides excellent protection from UV and other threats I am told. Lemme know if anyone has any questions for Dr. C, I correspond with him daily.
Grebennikova allows as how the microbes might have originated in space, but she first cites the more likely transmission from Earth hypothesis. Also unclear is whether the samples were actually alive or not. I suspect not.
Sorry, I call BS on these atmospheric virus studies. There is no way a large number of viruses are going to be viable after being exposed for many hours to the UV and reactive species of oxygen above the cloud level. Prove it! by culturing the viruses that are collected. I use to take weekend trips from LA to Yosemite to get to that clean high altitude air. I won’t have it besmirched like this.
Remember, there is UVA, UVB, and UVC.
Remember, there could be encasement of the viral particles by exopolymers, and partial attenuation of UVA and UVB (which have minimal effect on VIRUSES anyway) by dust layers in which the particles are embedded.
I am not sure what the signature of viable viruses might be, after undergoing separation and staining procedures for counting. I am not sure that there would be a way to count the particles in a way where these procedures were not used. These are points for further study, before totally dismissing the possibility.
In the meantime, prove that SARS-CoV-2 exists. (^_^) Prove that atoms exist. After that, let these guys know how you did it:
https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.m1103/rr