1 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Are there completely harmless viruses?
It always depends on what you consider to be a negative health effect.
A great example I have brought up in several similar threads is herpes simplex (HSV type 1 and 2). WHO estimates[1] that 67% of people worldwide are infected with HSV-1, yet most of the time infections are asymptomatic. And even if they are symptomatic, cold sores, which are the common symptom of an oral infection, can barely be considered a harm, more than a nuisance. Same goes for most instances of symptomatic genital herpes.
1: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus
It needs to be considered that there are severe cases leading to even encephalitis and special patient groups like immunodeficiency or immunosuppressed people are at more of a risk. This however is rare statistically and as such, HSV (type 1 even more so than type 2) can be considered not harmful in an overwhelming majority of cases.
Comment by intensely_human at 20/12/2021 at 11:27 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
No harm, no nuisance, etc.
I’d argue an ugly thing is harmful because it reduces attractiveness and hence mating fitness. But for clarity’s sake I mean no discernible macroscopic effects.