I loathe conspiracy theories. I’ve said this before but as a journalist, I entertain possibilities, even when they stray from conventional wisdom if it serves a purpose that actually materializes into something grounded and honest. Unfortunately, it seems too many Americans lean so far into dire prognostics that they believe life will resemble a dystopian B-movie. I’m not new to this, but 20 years into this business, I find it slightly problematic to stick with my philosophy given the post-truth world we live in. These lies many Americans — throughout the political spectrum — eat up are increasingly dangerous to our individual minds and the future of our collective health.

It’s been 2 1/2 years that Americans have been struggling with living in the coronavirus age. Every time it seems we are coming out of the pandemic, we learn of a new variant that threatens our safety. This week, the Biden administration declared Monkeypox a public health emergency. I’d be dishonest if I said Monkeypox didn’t worry me — it’s visually more disturbing than coronavirus though not nearly as potentially fatal. I’m planning to get my Monkeypox vaccination next week — and it’s the only vaccination I’ve had for anything in at least a decade. (I’ve been holding off on a Covid vaccine until an effective version becomes available.) Though I’ve luckily avoided coronavirus, I have to admit this pandemic might be a luxury compared to what could be around the corner.

The U.S. population has successfully dodged potentially harmful infections before, such as Avian Flu (which rarely infects people) and Zika Virus, but we’re entering new territory.

News of the Marburg Virus outbreak in Ghana — which is incurable — and another mysterious deadly infection on the other side of the world that could travel to the United States has me considering my entire approach to the vaccination lifestyle. And following a string of COVID booster shot recommendations from health officials, it seems remiss to think we will “return to normal.”

Strap yourselves into the doctor’s chair — vaccinations have a strong possibility of becoming the new normal for the rest of this century. And perhaps the dominant reason, as scientists have warned us, is due to climate change. Malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis and a host of other transmittable diseases are likely to continue to spread at rates never seen before.

Below is an excerpt from an article published in 2020 by nonprofit news organization ProPublica that summarizes the threat:

Over the past few decades, the number of emerging infectious diseases that spread to people — especially coronaviruses and other respiratory illnesses believed to have come from bats and birds — has skyrocketed. A new emerging disease surfaces five times a year. One study estimates that more than 3,200 strains of coronaviruses already exist among bats, awaiting an opportunity to jump to people.

COVID isn’t the only scary disease bats carry. Fruit bats have been cited by health officials as the source of recent Marburg infections.

Another excerpt below from a report published in 2010 by the NIH explains how climate change could impact the rate of infection:

Although the effects on infectious diseases will be detected worldwide, the degree and types of the effect are different, depending on the location of the respective countries and socioeconomical situations.

Among infectious diseases, water- and foodborne infectious diseases and vector-borne infectious diseases are two main categories that are forecasted to be most affected. The effect on vector-borne infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever is mainly because of the expansion of the infested areas of vector mosquitoes and increase in the number and feeding activity of infected mosquitoes. There will be increase in the number of cases with water- and foodborne diarrhoeal diseases.

Even with the strongest mitigation procedures, global warming cannot be avoided for decades.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know our international efforts to combat climate change have been a shameful failure to say the least. In the United States, we still contend with science deniers, including former President Trump who pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord in late 2020, just as he was leaving office. He also suspended funding for the World Health Organization, which, by the way, was one of the first line of defenses preventing the spread of the recent outbreak of Marburg virus in Ghana. 

While the evidence of the potentially devastating impact of climate change might lead some to despair, including myself, it’s wisest to just prepare.

Taking precautions such as wearing masks and gloves, and getting vaccinations as necessary is not foolish. Anti-vaxers may not survive the next round— literally.

The federal government will do as it wishes based on its understanding of infectious diseases and ideologies about governance. In my opinion, the misinformation from health officials about coronavirus— including effectiveness of vaccinations, don’t inspire confidence. There are many learning lessons from COVID-19, and now Monkeypox, about protecting ourselves as individuals but political leadership needs some schooling as well.

If we don’t commit to acting responsibly, the next infectious outbreak might be the example of life imitating art conspiracy mongers crave. I enjoy watching a bad movie — not living through one.