The majority of diseases arise from eating animals and destroying the environment

The covid-19 virus came from the wildlife trade, farming and slaughter of animals in a wet market in Wuhan, China. Wet markets are places where live animals are slaughtered and sold on the spot to customers. They are gruesome places where diseases can breed, harbor and transmit to humans. You will often find distressed and sick animals of different species at these markets, many are kept cramped in tiny cages in unsanitary conditions and slaughtered in plain sight of other animals. In order for zoonotic diseases to transmit to humans, there needs to be close contact to the saliva, feces, blood, bodily fluids or consumption of infected animals. The current pandemic has brought international attention and scrutiny to wet markets and the whole wildlife trade. China issued a nationwide ban on the wildlife trade shortly after the outbreak as they recognized it to be a serious threat to human health and safety. This industry, as well as all slaughterhouses, factory farms, and all forms of animal exploitation needs to be  ended permanently to prevent future pandemics.  

Zoonotic Illness Kills Hundreds of Thousand of People

It has never been more urgent or necessary than now to globally shift our dietary habits away from an animal-based diet. The entire world is suffering from the current pandemic caused by the deadly novel zoonotic virus. The COVID-19 pandemic is crippling the global economy, healthcare systems, tourism and almost every industry, due to mandatory closures and quarantines being implemented to mitigate the spread of disease. 

Unemployment and loss of livelihood is happening at an unprecedented rate as businesses close down or let go of their employees. The most devastating effect is the vast number of victims which now number over 2 million infected and over 130,000 people killed (as of April 15, 2020). As well as humans, non-human animals have also been an indirect victim of the virus with millions of non-human animals being killed to reduce potential risk.

Covid-19 came from eating animals!

Expectations were high at the start of 2020.  It started out full of promise, but now less than halfway through the year, there are currently more than 400,000 cases worldwide - in almost every country of the world - from the new corona virus pandemic.  The disease now named Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.  At the end of March 2020 there are almost 415,000 cases and almost 20,000 deaths worldwide.

What is the cause of this tragedy of biblical proportions?  It was first thought to have originated in a laboratory.  Now it is now believed to have started in a wild animal market.  The virus has evolved to its current pathogenic state by transmission from its non-human host to humans.  Previous coronavirus outbreaks have emerged from humans contracting the virus after exposure to infected animals.  Corona virus 2019 (Covid-19), as well as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), “Swine Flu”, avian influenza viruses (H5N1, H9N2, and H6N1 from poultry) and other epidemics are the result of Speciesism.

Animal-to-Human Diseases Kill 2.2 Million People Each Year.  Epidemics are the direct result of speciesism – the abuse of other species for the benefit of the human species.

The current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to spread.  In January, the World Health Organization defined the outbreak of COVID-19 as an international public health emergency of international concern.  Another concern is the H5N1 virus infection which has proven fatal for chickens (and sometimes other poultry) as well as for human beings. With poultry and eggs now the major source of meat protein worldwide, this fact has implications for food supply and international trade.  It also raises the possibility that human beings and chickens can be cross-infected, and in the absence of tight biosecurity, the virus potentially spreading in pandemic mode.

It is time to rethink our priorities and stop eating animals.  Adopt a healthy, compassionate lifestyle.  Go Vegan!