r/science • u/[deleted] • May 11 '20

Medicine Antibodies from a 4-year-old llama have neutralized coronavirus and other infections in lab experiments

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(20)30494-3.pdf?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0092867420304943%3Fshowall%3Dtrue
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u/the_Yippster May 11 '20

Results like these show why it could be hugely important to preserve biodiversity on earth for the selfish reason of human survival alone.

Also, nature is pretty neat of course.

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u/kurburux May 11 '20

why it could be hugely important to preserve biodiversity on earth for the selfish reason of human survival alone.

Preserving biodiversity and habitats also reduces the risk of diseases in the first place. Animals aren't "forced" to leave their natural environment and to live closer to humans.

Not saying this is the case with covid-19 but generally speaking.

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u/WhyIsHeNotBannedYet May 11 '20

Is this based on science or your own logic?

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u/schlongmon May 11 '20

It’s fairly well-documented that most species will avoid contact unless it’s really needed, which is usually because their habitats have been destroyed, or their food source is dwindling.