Castle Writers
Out of the Cocoon
Athlone 2020
Good Friday 2020 This was a Good Friday with a difference. We were in the middle of a Global Pandemic, due to a deadly virus called SARS-CoV-2, which causes a ‘flu-like disease called Covid-19. It had originated in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and was reported to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on New Year’s Eve, 31st December 2019. It is a Corona-virus, named because, viewed with the help of an electron microscope, the virus is spherical in shape, but has crown-like projections on the outside. It is these projections that are able to latch onto host cells, like grappling hooks, when they invade a host organism, such as bats, pangolins or even humans. The outbreak in Wuhan was linked to a food market where live animals are sold. While the virus seems to have originated in bats, it seems to have passed to creatures called pangolins and then to humans. Once the virus has invaded a host, it is able to pass through the cell walls within the respiratory system, where it uses the cell machinery to make replicas of itself. This eventually causes the host cell to burst, spilling out millions of virus particles, which can invade neighbouring cells, cause distressing symptoms and can even be fatal. These virus particles can then be passed on to other people, through droplets emitted when coughing and sneezing, or even simply through the breath. For most of the world, New Year’s Eve, December 31 st 2019, was celebrated in the usual way, with fireworks and parties; since, at that time, the rest of the world did not yet know what was happening in China. But towards the end of February, it became apparent that the Covid-19 disease had spread beyond China, thanks to the fact that we now live in a Global Village and air travel allows people to travel anywhere in the world & carry with them on their travels whatever infections they may have. During the first week in March, we heard that Italy had become an epicenter of the new corona virus in Europe. Meanwhile, a handful of cases were discovered in Ireland, most of them brought by people returning from ski holidays in Italy. Because this is a novel virus, newly evolved, nobody in the human population has any immunity to it, so we are all susceptible. Older people are particularly vulnerable. Our Government acted swiftly to take measures to curb the transmission of the disease, by closing schools and universities and any non-essential industries and offices. Department stores were closed. Even the pubs were closed, in advance of St. Patrick’s Day & the traditional parades all over the country were cancelled. People were asked to work from home where possible and homeschool their children. Those showing symptoms 11
