Opinion: What if Bushfires Gave us COVID-19? Listen to Roy N. Kusemererwa!
In February of 2020 just days before the national Covid-19 lockdown in Uganda, I had a theory! This theory was that the bushfires in Australia had had a significant hand in the start of the coronavirus covid19. The bushfires of the 2019-2020 season were some of the worst in Australian History. The Australian bushfire season normally begins in August of every year and goes on up to February of the next year. However, the 2019-2020 bushfire season started in June 2019 – two months before the usual starting time.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service director warned of the potential of an early start to the season following signs like exceptional dry conditions and a lack of soil moisture[wiki]. Throughout the summer, hundreds of fires burnt and the major fires peaked during December – January.
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CNN reported on February 1 that “with more than 15,000 fires across every Australian state, this was the worst fire season on record”. Nearly 3 Billion animals were killed or displaced by the fires. A previous research had concluded that due to the fires there was an immediate threat of extinction of Australia’s Koala Population. In a fight or flight move for survival the bushfires must have caused a huge migration of different species of animals to the nearest forests or places of abode for safety. These migrations definitely happen whenever there’s a fire but this must have been very big considering the scale of the catastrophe.
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We need to understand something here: At the heart of the world’s oldest and most intact forests lies the global centers of evolution and biological diversity. To any biologist, these forests are the natural cathedrals that still contain an untold number of undiscovered species. To an epidemiologist, they contain a primordial soup of novel and dangerous pathogens [worldwildlife.org].
In the event of a catastrophe these pathogens (viruses inclusive) will be carried by their hosts to another safer habitat. The BBC reported in January of 2020 that the worst-hit state was New South Wales, where the fires had affected more than five million hectares, destroying more than 200 houses forcing thousands of people to seek shelter elsewhere.
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When you look closely at the Map of Australia, the forest cover is concentrated in the east of Australia from the south east in New South Wales upwards to the north east of . In those areas, the forests are thick, and such thick environments are perfect habitats for pathogens and viruses. Above Australia are small countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Solomon Islands and others. These countries do not have a concentration of thick forests like the ones in Australia.
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However, just right above them, China does! A number of forests in China are located in the South East of China; Yanoda Rainforest, Zhuque National Forest, Lulang Forest, Guizhou Forest-Guiyang and other smaller forest reserves. Some of these forests are thick and tropical allowing for habitation of pathogens. However, the forest that caught my eye was Yanoda Rainforest. Described as thick, lush with tropical vegetations, Yanoda Forest is located at the southern border of China. Coincidentally, this forest is just on the southern edges of the Hubei province, the same place where the coronavirus covid19 is alleged to have begun. Does this (or doesn’t this-added by me) mean the Pathogen-carrier (bats) migrated from Australia into the Tropical forests of China to escape the Australian fires?
About the author:
Roy N. Kusemererwa is a software and website developer at Evolution Media Group. This article, also posted on his Facebook, was re-produced and posted here by me, Vicent Nemeyimana, after permission grant from Roy! Enjoy!