International Conference on Coronavirus Viral Genomes Oct 2020 Bangalore, India.
Prof. Dr. Gustavo Zubieta-Calleja, M.D., FPVRI
Head, High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute – (HAPPI-IPPA)
La Paz, Bolivia
COVID is a dramatic terrible disease for around 5% of the population, causing great sorrow, pain, and suffering. Yet, we have to be positive and we must try to understand deeply the CoV-2, that we are all facing. The Second World Covid Conference we organized jointly with between Prof. Dr. Gustavo Zubieta-Calleja and Dr. Natalia Zubieta-DeUrioste from High Altitude Pulmonary and Pathology Institute (HAPPI-IPPA) and Dr. Malali Gouda and Dr. Pruthvi Chakravarthi the Bengaluru Genomics Center (BGC) was a gathering of notable scientists, from around the world like Kusal Das, Thuppil Venkatesh, Malali Gowda, Robert Gallo, Murray Epstein, Andrew Pollard Giuseppe Miserocchi, Oscar Murillo, Paolo Pelosi, Augusto Ittig, V. Ravi, and so many other excellent speakers. It was a wonderful opportunity to exchange ideas, to give all our knowledge in what we understand was the first International Conference on COVID in India. The speakers made it a goal to find solutions, suggest ideas, propose therapies with great originality to improve our world. I found myself delighted by the exchange of ideas, the learning, the reasoning, and I am certain it is a remarkable contribution to the world.
Did we shed some light on the Coronavirus Pandemia shaking the world? After all, the scientific conferences in India always start by jointly lighting a multiple wick oil lamp in order to find illumination. I had previously been invited to the International Conference on COVID Genomics Bangalore on June 7-10th 2020 in this conference organized by Dr. Malali Gowda and his collaborators Dr. Pruthvi Chakravarthi and Dr. Preenon Bagchi. He has set his life goal to improve the environment through genetics, making it greener, more ecologic, and hence filled with oxygen, our luxury precious element of life on our planet Earth.
A virus is an RNA strand encapsulated in a protective sheath composed of proteins. We can understand that this structure is essential for its survival and its transport. Most affirm that it has no life and it is a subject of interest(Villarreal, 2004). But, what is life? Life is defined as having the following properties: Organization, Metabolism, Homeostasis, Growth, Reproduction, Response, and Evolution(Academy, 2016). Let us analyze each one.
- Organization: living beings contain specialized coordinated parts, i.e. cells. But are cells necessary? Coronavirus is in a way like a cell. They have a nucleus: RNA and they have an outer sheath, which has a special corona shape. Are they organized? Do we know if they communicate between themselves? It would seem not with our current understanding of communication. But there are many things we don’t know or much less understand thus far. They are composed of atoms that build amino-acids composing the RNA. Do we fully understand the atoms? We continue to find particles within them thanks to immense cyclotron colliders. The coronavirus is a nucleic acid genome surrounded by a protein sheath. What is in-between? nothing? emptiness? space? molecules?
- Metabolism: Chemical reactions that allow the living organism to move and catch a prey. The shape of the coronavirus is very peculiar. It measures 120nm and has spikes that provide it with several properties: self-protection, adhesion to surfaces, connection “hooks”, and possibly even air flotation qualities, like an airplane. It reduces the contact surface area. Probably that is why it survives so long on many surfaces (the least time in copper, possibly due to its atomic electrically charged characteristics). Consequently, they move and furthermore, they have a prey: it is us humans. Anabolism is making complex molecules from simpler ones. They use molecules within cells. Catabolism; they have their energy. How can they survive days on surfaces? Perhaps they obtain their energy from molecules?
- Homeostasis: Coronavirus regulate their internal environment to maintain a relatively narrow range of conditions, otherwise they would not exist.
- Growth: it implies creating proteins and DNA. Well, in this case, it is RNA and the outer sheath, also its protein growth.
- Reproduction: This is what they do best within our cells. The question is what drives them? Humans and animals have the sex drive: a sweet intuitive compulsive sensation. All insects must have this same drive. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms probably do too. Why not the Coronavirus? Is there an intricate drive for reproduction within them that we still don’t understand? They certainly move fast to replicate themselves, within us.
- Response: The capability to respond to stimuli. Antibodies block and destroy them, so they mutate. That is a response.
- Evolution: mutations, adaptation to the environments allow for its survival. The spikes are resources of evolution. The entrance through the ACE2 receptors is a coordinated “well-calculated” mechanism that allows them to enter the cells and re-code the lysosomes changing the genetic code for mass replication of its code.
I believe that the Coronavirus is a striking mystery filled with life. And I even think that somehow it has intelligence that challenges that of all humans.
What has the COV-2 come to do to our planet? It has shaken the very foundations of our society. I find it a fascinating composition of nature. Humans had begun to think that they could dominate nature. That they were superior to all living beings. (apparently, not this one so far). Humans could kill animals, destroy forests, kill other humans, and even try to create life. However, this last task has not been easy, and thus far unsuccessful. Nature had been working for 13.8 billion years ago since the Big Bang (we assume). The molecules arrived on our planet from distant stars and created the most beautiful and precious music: the symphony of life. It is an insolence of humans to think they could dominate nature in so little time of human existence of around 3 million years, and with true development of science and technology only for the past thousands of years.
There is the intention of “Terraforming” Mars (changing it to be like earth). They had even forgotten man and all living beings in this quest, so I created the term “BioSpaceForming” (Adaptation to life in Space)(G. R. Zubieta-Calleja & Zubieta-DeUrioste, 2018) to understand the changes living beings will have to undergo, without a doubt. Adaptation = survival. And that is what Cov-2 does.
And then comes the behavior of humans on planet Earth. They based life on gain and greed. Even going beyond nature’s interests, other beings’ interests, and even other humans’ interests. The quest has wrongly been for money, money, money. The psychology of creating war to dominate others is a pathological mental derangement. Sometimes merely for pride and for the simple feeble-minded attitude of destruction, itself.
So, is the coronavirus a mere random and accident of nature or is it a preprogrammed biological weapon? It seems like a Bio-Nuclear attack(Gustavo R. Zubieta-Calleja, 2020). It biologically attacks our cells and mostly our life-sustaining cells located in our lungs. It enters the cells through the ACE2 receptors and reproduces itself within, creating the birth of thousands of new offspring breaking and destroying our life-sustaining cells in our lungs. It creates what I have called and mentioned publicly for the first time at this conference “pneumolysis” (Lung destruction), thereby depriving us of the fundamental organ with which we capture the oxygen molecules from the air. The rapidly progressing “silent hypoxia” can be aggravated by a superimposed High Altitude Pulmonary Edema-type reaction. Those affected severely by this COVID are suddenly taken to the hypoxic levels of Mt. Everest(Gustavo R. Zubieta-Calleja et al., 2020). With insufficient time for adaptation, without enough blood, with excess carbon dioxide, (the fundamental Tolerance to Hypoxia factors)(Zubieta-Calleja, G.R., Ardaya, G., Zubieta, N., Paulev, 2013), respiratory acidosis and possibly metabolic acidosis results. The severe hypoxia is aggravated by accumulating hypercapnia (due to insufficient gas-exchange area) inducing severe dyspnea and “gasping”. This acute pulmonary insufficiency takes the most precious gift of nature: life.
This surprise attack on our bodies has shaken the most advanced societies with all their supposedly superior know-how, and created havoc in them. Immense amounts of money were useless in the richest countries. The rich became equal to the poor. Pre-established protocols in hospitals were inefficient and often deadly. Quarantines were established in order to attempt survival. The economies of all countries are now severely compromised. But going back, was all the social and economic “development” necessary? Does nature see it as “progress” or self-destruction? Is nature teaching us a lesson? Is it punishing us? Is this truly a random event? Is it biological cleansing of the weakest?
Can we defend ourselves? What are the components of our armor? It seems more and more evident that our most important defense tool is intelligence. The creation of vaccines is underway, but it is plagued with time constraints and many doubts. The appearance of all types of medication in search for the miracle cure, keep turning unsuccessful. The pharmaceutic industry shows its real face of inefficiency as it is often based on propaganda, biased results, discrediting simple medication, manipulation of data, often resulting more lethal than curative. The manipulation of food through the use of chemicals has turned world food not nutritive and healthy but rather poisonous, causing cancer, metabolic disease and suffering. We have all polluted the world mercilessly. From the medical point facing COVID-19, some weaknesses become more and more evident: Type A blood, chronic inflammation, stress, multiple sicknesses, lack of hygiene, old age, dysfunctional organs, etc. We still have a long road ahead.
High altitude with its high ultraviolet radiation along with biological adaptation proves to be one of the most effective armors. The Sun’s rays become our protectors, sterilizing our environment when falling on all surfaces destroying the Coronavirus (and hence reducing contagion)(G. Zubieta-Calleja, n.d.), and likewise building Vitamin D when falling on our skins. Biological adaptation such as the decreased ACE2 receptors, in the lungs at high altitudes may play a role in reducing the incidence up to 10 times less, with respect to sea level, all around the world(Arias-Reyes et al., 2020). It is safer to be at high altitude in this Pandemia.
Our only true defense mechanism is our immune system, that has been constantly attacked by medication, chemicals in our food, contamination of our water, all responding to ambition and economical greed. The truly useful medications become the prompt use of nature’s, good hydration, good healthy nutrition, and several natural components coming from plants, salts, metals like Iodine, copper, natural anti-inflammatories like AcetylSalicilic Acid, Aspirin, Curcumin, antibiotics and a good amount of iron in our blood as that naturally granted to us in the hypoxic environment at high altitude, thereby increasing the oxygen pool reserve for the moment of the most critical lung compromise. Many other natural medicines will surface. But in the meantime, we must be careful, use face masks, wash our hands, avoid multitudes, keep social distancing, and us scientists continue our research.
Perhaps, in the end, the remedy lies in respecting natural knowhow like the Ayurveda, the peace of mind in Yoga, the humbleness of Buddha, the kindness teachings of Christ, the generosity and love of Ganesha, the true values of man, not based on wealth, not based on religious or political domination but rather on respect for nature, harmony with nature, love of all living beings. That is what India teaches us. After all, we are all living only a very short period in time in our universe.
References
Academy, K. (2016). What is life? https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-biology-foundations/hs-biology-and-the-scientific-method/a/what-is-life
Arias-Reyes, C., Zubieta-DeUrioste, N., Poma-Machicao, L., Aliaga-Raduan, F., Carvajal-Rodriguez, F., Dutschmann, M., Schneider-Gasser, E. M., Zubieta-Calleja, G., & Soliz, J. (2020). Does the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 virus decrease at high-altitude? Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2020.103443
Villarreal, L. P. (2004). Are Viruses Alive? Scientific American, 101–105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1204-100
Zubieta-Calleja, G.R., Ardaya, G., Zubieta, N., Paulev, P. E. & Z.-C. G. (2013). Tolerance to Hypoxia. J Fisiol. https://zuniv.net/pub/TolerancetoHypoxiaFiziol.pdf
Zubieta-Calleja, G. (n.d.). The advantages of ultraviolet radiation in controlling the coronavirus at high altitude. La Razon. http://altitudeclinic.com/blog/2020/04/u_v-radiation-covid-2-at-high-altitude/
Zubieta-Calleja, G. R., & Zubieta-DeUrioste, N. (2018). Space travel in a high-altitude environment. One more step in human BioSpaceForming. BLDE Univ J Health Sci, 3, 97–103.
Zubieta-Calleja, Gustavo R. (2020). Co-Vid-19 Pandemia Essential Suggestions. March 19. http://altitudeclinic.com/blog/2020/03/covid-19-pandemia-essential-suggestions/
Zubieta-Calleja, Gustavo R., Zubieta-DeUrioste, N., Venkatesh, T., Das, K., & Soliz, J. (2020). COVID-19: Multiple Diseases Simulating Extreme High-Altitude Exposure? Oxygen Transport Physiology and Scarce Need of Ventilators; Andean Condor’s-Eye-View. https://doi.org/10.20944/PREPRINTS202005.0085.V1