Why Have So Many Types of Viruses Appeared Recently?

Monkey pox, West Nile virus, Langya and more… As if COVID-19 was not enough, we often hear the names of many different viruses in the news. So what happened that these virus names swept all over us?

He has been doing research on viruses for more than 20 years, working as a senior manager in a biotechnology company in the USA, and we know him for his informative posts on social media. Virologist Dr. Semih Tareen (Virus Phantom), He answered the questions we asked him in a language that everyone can understand. Explaining this situation, Dr. We listen from Mr. Semih:

After COVID-19, there is a selective perception in both the news audience and the reporters.

news channels and media, because it is popular especially started to include virus news. Of course, according to the style of the news channel, some of them can give good news on this subject, while others give news in the style of more catastrophic news and share virus news with people.

There is also a selective perception in terms of the audience and the reader.

Due to the fear of “I wonder if something similar will happen again” after COVID-19, and also because such news is shared much more frequently on social media. selective perception There is an impression that there is an increase in virus news.

But this is a fact; news channels also specifically address these issues.

For example, in 2014, the World Health Organization declared a state of emergency for the polio virus due to the increase in polio cases. We’ve never heard of this on the news. Why? Because it was pre-COVID-19.

Before COVID-19, there were viral epidemics that were very important for human health, but we did not hear the news of this like the viruses we hear as often as now. For example, in 2014, the Zika virus outbreak was in the news, of course, but If the Zika virus epidemic was now It would certainly be handled in a very different way.

Another fact: After COVID-19, countries, governments, companies, that is, biotechnology companies and public health institutions, pay more attention to new viral epidemics.

New virus news, whether it’s a website or other gadgets it can reach people’s hands much more easily. This is thanks to technology, intergovernmental cooperation and platforms created after COVID-19.

For example; for prior influenza virus outbreaks and for variants of influenza virus nextstrain.org There was a site called, this site was used for tracking the flu virus, and it started to be used for the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants during the COVID-19 period, so the variants of the virus are now available to all researchers.

When I say variants, I mean the genetic sequence and genetic information of these variants. Sharing between scientists has become easier thanks to such database sites, so scientists tweet more and they can give more information and these may also be more frequent news.

Another factor is the convenience of PCR testing.

PCR tests used in the diagnosis of COVID-19 are already a very frequently used test in science, and thanks to the PCR test, we can now detect viruses that we did not know before. we can confirm much more easily, We can easily understand what is what.

For example, we used to do PCR scanning in sewage waters and not get information about which virus is present, but after COVID-19, we have now seen the benefit of that PCR test here. And now, of course, the monkeypox virus we heard about in the news, etc. for this kind PCR genetic diagnostic test can be done easily, In this way, diagnoses can be given much more accurately.

In the past, for example, someone went to the doctor with symptoms, the doctor did not know what it was, but he gave medicine to relieve symptoms and sent the patient home. But now the situation is a little different. In many parts of the world, if there is a suspicion of a certain infectious disease, then genetic diagnosis can be made and this information is processed into databases. And of course from there Wherever there is a new viral epidemic, we are informed.

Actually, this is nothing new.

We virologists follow new outbreaks in different parts of the world every week. To keep track of these new outbreaks promedmail.org There are many good database sites such as Here we can see viral outbreaks emerging in different corners of the world every week, and this is nothing new.

These kinds of virus outbreaks were happening all the time anyway. It’s just like for all the reasons I just mentioned It gives a more compressed air. One of the things that causes this mood is the selectivity in perception, and the other is the diagnostic tests we have after COVID-19, giving importance to this issue and understanding the seriousness of this issue.

Finally, let me remind you: Viruses have existed for billions of years, and if the human race disappears, they will one day continue to exist after humans.

So in a way, we can think of this place as a virus planet. because a drop of ocean water contains billions of virus particles and we are visitors to this life too, and viral outbreaks have always been and always will be.

It’s a perfectly normal fact of biology and life. The important thing is; to be knowledgeable, to be informed and to continue our lives with science. If disaster news is being made ignoring the news of disaster. Instead of getting the right information from real science and publications, to continue life in an informed manner without panicking.

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