Scary! 6 Pandemic-Potential Viruses That Have Been Identified Since COVID-19 Outbreak

Apocalyptic AF! This is exactly how we would like to describe 2020 because no other expression comes even close. Yes, life’s full of ups and downs and happiness is never a certainty but 2020 is operating on some another level altogether. I mean there seriously is no scope of any respite. 

It continues getting worse. Hardly anyone could have guessed that the entire world would be taken over by a pandemic when they first heard about the coronavirus. Then again, a few would have envisioned the severity that it has assumed today as it goes on crashing economies and claiming lives right now. And almost no one could have fathomed that the coronavirus would not be the only threat faced by us in 2020. From the news of Bubonic plague to the more recent Brucellosis, by now, it legit feels like we are floating in an endless quagmire of viruses. It is 2020 and the floor isn’t lava anymore, the floor’s virus and we really need to brace ourselves and fend for our lives.

But, wait, there’s more. Indian scientists have now identified a new Cat Que Virus that can seriously threaten the population. Like we said, it keeps getting worse. And now to keep you updated, here’s a quick summary of all the viruses that have been identified since the coronavirus outbreak:

Hantavirus

March 2020 was the time when the coronavirus pandemic had sufficiently jolted the entire world. The world had not even fully recovered from the setback when siren bells about another “coronavirus-like pandemic” were rung in China. As per the reports, a man traveling on a bus had died of the virus and all his fellow passengers had also tested positive for it. However, there have not been any updates about the outbreak since then. 

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G4 Swine Flu

Back in June, researchers in China found out a pandemic potential swine flu rein. Given that Swine Flu had already wreaked havoc in the world back in 2009, the finding caused much alarm about the virus called G4. Scientists have also raised concerns that the virus has all the potential of further adaptation and becoming all the more threatening if not taken cognizance of. 

Bubonic Plague

How unnerving is it to hear that the deadliest plague in human history has resurfaced while you are navigating a world pandemic? Quite a bit, right? And yet this happened to us back in July when the Chinese authorities ended up sealing a village in the country after two people reportedly died of Bubonic plague in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. People were then alerted to be watchful of rodents and keep them at a bay. 

For the unversed, Bubonic plague is also known as “Black Death” and happens to be a centuries-old malady that is infamous for claiming the lives of 50 million people in the 14th century as it effectively annihilated 1/3rd population of the world. However, scientists and experts across the world soon took cognizance of the situation and informed the world that unlike ‘Black Death’ in the 14th century we are more informed about the flu and more prepared to tackle it. And while that must have relaxed the world, as per the latest developments a new case has been detected in China and no matter how prepared we are, the idea of “Balck Death” in conjugation with the coronavirus does not does pleasing at all. 

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Tick-Borne Virus

Even before the news of Bubonic plague could die, we were alerted about a Tick-borne virus in China in early August. Identified as ‘Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome’ or SFTS virus disease, the virus was reported in East China, had already infected 60 people and claimed over seven lives when the news broke. There have hardly been any updates since then. 

Brucellosis

For a country like China where the coronavirus pandemic first started and the subsequent Bubonic plague and Tick-borne virus outbreak were reported, you’d expect them to be super vigilant about this outbreak situation. However, that’s clearly not the case because there is no other way of describing the scariest outbreak right now: Brucellosis! In an announcement made by the health commission of Lanzhou City in China, it was revealed that it was in fact a leak in a biopharmaceutical company responsible for the outbreak of Brucellosis disease in China. While no fatalities have been reported, the virus has actually infected over 3,000 people by now. However, the virus has a concerning impact on male fertility and India is being constantly warned about the risk right now. 

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Cat Que Virus

In the latest developments, scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have now discovered a new virus called ‘Cat Que Virus’ (CQV). According to them, it has the potential to cause an outbreak in the country. This virus falls under the category of Arthropod-borne viruses and is found in pigs and culex mosquitoes. In the past, it has been largely reported in China and Vietnam.

The discovery was made at the National Institute of Virology (NIV), ICMR, Pune while scientists were examining serum samples tested across states. The virus has been discovered in two out of 883 samples tested by them. 

Clearly, as much as we might wait for the coronavirus pandemic to end, it is not our only challenge. That said we seriously cannot deal with another pandemic right now!

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