The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a virus as follows: [1] any of a large group of submicroscopic infectious agents that are usually regarded as nonliving extremely complex molecules, that typically contain a protein coat surrounding an RNA or DNA core of genetic material but no semipermeable membrane, that are capable of growth and multiplication only in living cells, and that cause various important diseases in humans, animals, and plants. The definition is in itself complex, starting with the fact there is no consensus as to whether a virus is a living being or not. The structure of a virus is quite simple: a protein surrounding a core with genetic material. Full stop. But even that simple configuration is able to cause important harm to other living beings. Since January 2020, the whole world is upside down thanks to one of these viruses, a coronavirus known as COVID-19. In a series of entries in this blog, I will discuss, quoting Weezer, how “the world has turned and lef...
Some reflections on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world, starting with our individual lives but also considering the "big picture".