We live in the troubled age of COVID-19, where normalcy is a distant memory. This disease is a killer and its prolong existence has changed not only our day-to-day activities, but our outlook on life.

The realities that continue to envelope our sleeping and waking minds are the first of its kind for our generation. The challenges have resulted in job losses or in many cases a reduction in salary both at home and abroad. Additionally it has created an atmosphere for fear and distrust around the world.

The ultimate challenge though is the seriousness in regards to the presence of COVID-19, and the complex gauntlet it has thrown before us. What is necessary to understand is that ‘viruses’ are not dust caught in the wind, even in science it seems that the earliest impression were that viruses were lifeless inert pockets of chemicals, then it was realised that they have genes, they reproduce and they evolve through natural selection, thus they live.

In addition, evidence for the fact that viruses are alive have been observed, read Discover Magazine (April 2010).
So what we face is a living organism, with an agenda to integrate itself in our bodies and move from body to body contaminating and evolving, there are parallels for this behaviour in nature, some bizarre and frightening.

Some years ago, I penned a script on an aspect of our local ‘Folklore’. When I finished the pencil layouts, I proceeded to explore the natural world for parallels of the lore. I found an article on a study in the November 2014 edition of National Geographic, which I had bought from Universal Bookstore owned by my friend [they closed doors early 2015]. The topic of that issue was “Real ZOMBIES the strange science of the living Dead,” an article that introduced the study of insects and bacteria that invade the bodies of other living creatures. They use their victims by taking over their minds and bodies and compelling their actions to serve the single purpose as carriers and defenders of their young (implanted in the bodies of their victims), a macabre report on a unique natural study—but an eye opener.

My mother worked in the Health Ministry and she once identified some communicable infections; in some cases, persons were accused of deliberately attempting to infect others. It does make one wonder if the pathogen itself can distort some humans based on their mental temperament to act contrary to the principle of being a brother’s keeper?
COVID-19 is not just a Pandemic; it is a shroud of social gloom, which causes people to act differently, and not in the public interest.

In 1997, I began the process of writing and illustrating a graphic magazine on HIV-AIDS, it was published by UNICEF. One of my tasks towards its development was to interview persons who were infected. There were two popular names that I was directed to, one male, the other female; those were two angry persons, with a ‘get-back’ philosophy to infect other people. She picked up victims at the Astor/Globe cinemas and wooed them to a hotel that existed then on North Road, west of Wellington Street; He had a car and went after teenagers looking for a ‘Sugar Daddy’ the name written on his car was the Star-name that we called a top crooner ‘Jerry Butler’ back in the day. On the other hand, there were other people who told persons they engaged that they were sick, condoms were relevant and still are, and they followed advice and are alive today. Human nature is contradictory, but nothing can be taken for granted. For example, some people learn from an article like this, while others need a poster with grim graphics to be convinced through fear.

COVID-19 is not an infection that can be identified by any obvious signs like the common cold, measles, mumps or the many infections we know, that results in rapid weight loss. One cannot tell a person’s temperature by looking at them; most people who tested positive for COVID-19 were unaware that they were infected. That makes taking things for granted very dangerous.

So wear your mask and fulfil the other social behavioural instructions. I have seen people who should know better without masks. What is scary with this infection is that we have no idea about the long-term physical impact it may have. We cannot be sure what are the debilitating side effects of this lethal toxin that the Fourth Horse Man has concocted this time upon the human world. So as Scout-Cub motto goes, ‘Be Prepared’.

To the best of my knowledge, the references used in this article are all facts related to infection, human and other mysterious species of nature.