Covi - Understanding Coronavirus

Covi

Michael Jasick

Edited by:Danielle Benim

©2020 R&P Berlin GmbH

Copyright notice: All rights reserved to R&P Berlin GmbH. No part of this book, including images, may be reproduces or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in written from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The resources in this book are provided for informational purpose only and should not be used to replace specialized training and professional judgment of a health care professional.

Hello friends,

My name is Ethan, and I’d like to tell you a story about something new and interesting that has been on the mind of many people around the world.

Recently, my little sister, Emily, and both of our parents have been staying home. Our T.V. is always on these days, and Dad, who is not working right now, has been watching shows about an unknown disease that everyone seems to be talking about. I have gotten very curious about it, so I decide to ask Dad what this “virus” is.

As Dad starts to explain, he notices that Emily and I don’t seem to understand many things he talks about. So, he suggests that we speak to his friend, Michael, who knows about those things. He says there is no one else we can trust more about this new virus.

Michael has been very busy during this time, but Mom says he is planning to visit us for a short while tonight.

Michael arrives at our house after dinner, and Mom asks him if he washed his hands before he came. She seems a little worried. Before he even answers, she gives him some soap to wash them anyways. We all watch him wash his hands, and he takes a long time, but Mom seems to relax right away.

Michael sits down in the living room and we give him some cookies that Emily and I had prepared. Neither of us are in school right now, so we have lots of time to help Mom with cooking and baking. Michael tells us that a strange, new virus has been discovered. I don’t know what a virus is, so I tell him I have not seen anything new running around the neighborhood.

Michael chuckles and explains that a virus is a minuscule creature that you can’t observe with just your eyes.

“I saw a tiny ant in the garden today. That must have been the virus!” Emily says.

Michael tells us that the virus is even smaller than an ant and that you can only see it with a device called a “microscope.”

I decide to tell Michael about a trip that my friend Jerry and I went on not too long ago. On the trip, we bought a magnifying glass so we could see all kinds of little animals and insects.

We even tried an experiment with the magnifying glass that reflected the sun’s rays onto a piece of paper. The rays were so bright from the magnifying glass that the paper started to burn! Jerry and I laughed for a long time, but we felt like real scientists.

“Is a microscope like our magnifying glass?” I ask Michael.

“Almost! A microscope is similar to a magnifying glass but allows you to see much, much smaller creatures.” Michael replies.

Emily and I are very curious. We ask him if he has seen the virus himself and if it even has a name. Dad overhears this and steps in, telling us that the virus is called “Coronavirus.”

“Coronavirus” sounds silly to us, so we decide that we should call it “Covi.” This is a much nicer name for a small creature.

“Covi sounds like a great name, but remember, he is not very nice to people,” Michael says.

This confuses us a little bit, so we start to wonder what Covi looks like.

Emily says she pictures he has long ears and is covered in fur, while I imagine him as a smaller version of my favorite Transformer.

“Covi looks like a very tiny tennis ball with all kinds of small bumps coming out of him,” Michael says.

He decides to draw us a picture so we know exactly what Covi looks like. I am a bit disappointed that he doesn’t look like a Transformer, but Emily thinks the picture looks funny, so she starts to laugh. Dad tells her, in a serious voice, that the virus is not a funny thing at all. He says that Covi makes people very sick and has made him lose his job.

“You can’t see Grandma or Grandpa right now, and that is all because of Covi,” he says.

Emily and I glance at each other, confused. We didn’t ever think Covi was that bad!

We ask Michael where Covi lives, and he says he doesn’t quite know. He tells us that Covi came from abroad and has lived in places all around the world.

“Did he ever live in Rome? We went there last summer and I miss all the delicious pizzas!” I say.

Michael tells us that Covi has been to Rome and has been to thousands of other places too.

“Covi must be round and fat from all the pizzas he ate,” I say to Michael.

This makes Emily laugh again, but Mom gets a little upset. Just like Dad, she tells us that this is all very serious and not something to laugh about.

Emily says she wants to know more about Covi, and I agree. We are both very intrigued. I tell Michael that my friend Jerry was the smartest boy in our class, and he told me that Covi goes into people’s bodies and eats them like Pac-Man.

“Jerry is right! Covi does go into people’s bodies, but he doesn’t eat anyone. He can make them very sick,” Michael explains.

“Do you have a Covi in your body?” asks Emily.

“I don’t. In the company where I work, they do routine tests and I always get tested to see if I have a Covi,” Michael says. “I have to make sure I am healthy, so I don’t get any other employee sick.”

I start to wonder how Covi, who has travelled all around the world, can even get into people’s bodies in the first place.

Michael grabs another cookie and leans on his armchair.

“Covi passes from one person to another,” he says. “If there is someone who has Covi in their body, they can pass him on to another person if they cough or sneeze close to them.”

“That’s great! Then if Covi leaves the first person, they will recover!” I reply.

“That’s not exactly how it works. You see, if a person is sick with the virus, they have lots and lots of little ’Covi’s inside them. If one Covi gets in, then he begins to multiply,” Michael explains.

This all seems so complicated. How can Covi multiply? Does he have super powers? I start to get a little scared because it sounds like Covi is a super-villain.

“Don’t be scared, Ethan, I will explain everything to you a little more.” Michael says, as he sees me start to worry. “The virus, hmmm- or as you call it, Covi, is so small that we can’t see it without a microscope. That’s why it is very difficult to know where it is and how to be careful about it. We know little about Covi right now, but us doctors learn more and more every day. We already know that he enters our body through the little drops we breathe.”

“Oh, so when it rains do you always have to have an umbrella?” Emily asks.

“Covi doesn’t come to us through the rain. When a person breathes, coughs or sneezes, little drops come out of their mouths and noses. These drops are sometimes just as small as Covi, so that is how he can travel to another person without us knowing right away,” Michael explains.

“Ah, so that’s why the man on the news always says to stay away from other people!” I exclaim.

“Exactly, Ethan! When we are far away from each other, these little drops can’t reach us,” Michael says. “There is an easy way to make sure you are far enough away from a person so that Covi can’t reach you. Just pretend there are two bikes standing in between you and other people! You can also picture how tall your dad is, and make sure that there is that much space in between you and another person.”

“So, if I keep that distance, then I can’t get Covi?” Emily asks.

“Sure! It’s a safe enough distance that even if someone next to you is sick, they won’t infect you. However, there is something that will make sure you are even more safe. Wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose will almost always keep Covi away!” Michael replies.

Emily and I exchange glances. “Why does Covi love living in the nose so much? Does he like living in caves or something?” Emily asks.

“Yes,” Michael replies, smiling a little bit. “The nose is warm and has lots of moisture. Covi and other viruses like to stay in places like the nose and the mouth.”

Emily says she will get Covi out of her nose if anyone near her sneezes, but Dad tells her that this is impossible for her to do alone. “You can’t just take Covi out of your nose. He is too small and is always hiding,” he says.

Emily seems disappointed at this. I think she meant that picking her nose would get Covi out, but Michael and Dad don’t seem to like that idea very much.

“The most important thing is not to be close to other people, Emily,” Mom says. “Even if they are your best friends, you have to keep your distance to protect yourself and other people. That is why we haven’t been visiting Grandma or Grandma for a while. I’m afraid that if any of us are infected we can pass Covi on to them too.”

“But we can wear masks if we go visit them! Then Covi will stay away!” Emily exclaims, seeming excited at the possibility that we can now go see our grandparents.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. It can still be a little dangerous even with a mask on, so right now is just not the best time to see them,” Mom says.

I get up to sit by Emily and give her a hug. I think she is a little sad because she can’t see Grandma or Grandpa. She loves visiting them a lot. Grandma always makes our favorite cookies and Grandpa has a big collection of fish bait that he shows us whenever we go to see them. I miss visiting them too.

“So, does Covi only live in our noses and our mouths?” I ask Michael.

“Our throats and noses are where Covi usually lives when he first comes into our bodies, but he can enter through other places as well. Even if a small drop of Covi hits the eyes, he can get in that way too,” Michael replies.

“Then where does he actually live?” Emily asks.

“Well, he can live in almost every cell in our body. He uses our cells to duplicate so there are more and more of him,”Michael explains.

Emily and I start to worry. Until now, we thought that Covi was just a cute, small creature, but we have started to realize that he actually does a lot of harm.

I remember that one of my friends had a sore throat at school and a high fever, and he didn’t come to class for a few days. We asked him what happened when he finally came back and he said that there was a bacteria that got into his body and went straight to his lungs. He also said this was a virus, but he didn’t mention anything about the virus going into cells.

“So…how does Covi get into our cells?” I ask Michael.

“Excellent question, Ethan!” Michael exclaims. “You’re asking questions like a scientist now! Although Covi is very tiny, he is mighty. The small bumps on his body are almost like a crown, and they give him lots of keys that let him enter our cells.”

“Wait a minute…does every cell have its own lock or something?” Emily asks.

“Not exactly,” Michael replies. “Each cell has several areas on its exterior that act like doors. They are used to absorb food and also to remove waste. Those areas are normally closed off, but they can open when needed.”

“Oh, I think I understand now!” I say, excited about feeling like a scientist with Michael. “So, for example, if a truck comes to deliver food to the cell, then the truck driver can ask for permission to open the cell’s doors. Then he can bring the cell food and collect all the garbage, right?”

“That’s right. Of course, there can’t really be trucks inside a cell, but that was a good example. Instead, there are compact balls of material that the cell uses as food. They move around and pull some material from near the opening of the cell. That specific material is a password to allow cell doors to open.” Michael explains.

“What happens if the password is wrong?” Emily asks.

“In that case,” Michael goes on, “the guard waiting at the cell door will sound an alarm and call for help. If the password is wrong, then whatever is trying to enter is most likely a risk or a dangerous material.”

Dad tries to explain this a little better so Emily can understand. “Do you remember when we forgot the password to our computer? After we tried different passwords three times, the computer locked itself and didn’t let us in! That is exactly what happens when something strange or bad tries to enter a cell.”

“So, how does Covi get into the cell? How does he know the password? Did someone tell him?” I ask.

“Well, we don’t exactly know yet. Covi may have tried lots of different passwords until he found the right one. What we do know is that he seems to have passwords to lots of cells, so he may just be tricking the guards. Covi is very interesting and puzzling, but what is important is that we have all the right knowledge on how to protect ourselves from him,”Michael explains.

“Can’t we just change the passwords?” Emily asks. I start to wonder the same thing. If you change a computer’s password, then it’s easy to protect someone bad from getting in.

“That’s a good idea,” Michael replies, “but we still don’t know how to teach cells to change their passwords. So, we think the best thing to do is try to attack Covi and make him forget the passwords instead.”

Dad asks, “Are there any other ways to fight him?”

He seems very interested by what Michael is saying and by the questions that Emily and I have asked.

“Yes, of course. Another way to get rid of Covi is by helping the body create substances that can destroy him. There is also some medicine that may fight the virus and make him confused. It’s almost like we are targeting Covi with a large flashlight so he has a hard time seeing where to go. That way, he won’t be able to find openings to any cells. Covi can’t live outside of cells for too long, so if he can’t get in, then eventually he will disappear from the body,” Michael reveals.

Emily looks like she is thinking for a while, then says, “I think it is better to use a mask all the time. Then Covi can’t even come into our bodies at all. I’m sure that’s the best way to beat him. If he can’t live outside of our bodies, then he will disappear forever!”

That makes me excited because I start to think we can go see Grandma and Grandpa again. I also want to see my friends and play outside. I miss them all a lot.

“Well, sure, masks are a great way to keep Covi away, but there is something else to consider. The problem is that not all people want to wear masks, nor do they keep enough distance from each other, and that’s why Covi is still here,” Michael replies. “It’s very important that both children and adults understand this and follow doctors’ and scientists’ advice.”

I’m disappointed at this because I started to picture seeing all my friends again, but I’m still curious and want to know more about Covi.

“What does he do when he enters our cells?” I ask.

Michael smiles like he expected this question. “This is where things get really interesting.”

Mom and Dad come out from the kitchen to join us on the couch. They look like they want to hear everything Michael is saying too.

“So, even though Covi is very small and has a small brain, he is very sophisticated. The thing Covi wants most in the world is to continue to grow and disperse throughout our body. However, because he is small, he can’t grow on his own. He needs our cells to do so. Covi’s brain, just like all other viruses, is where he stores all sorts of different passwords. His brain looks like a long, curled ribbon that forms into a ball. If you open up the ribbon, you can see that it is composed of many small pages glued next to each other. On each of these pages are written instructions…” Michael explains.

“What kind of instructions? What do they tell him to do?” Emily asks.

Michael begins again, “One of these instructions is remembering all of his different passwords. Another one may be how to use up all of the cell’s substances once he makes his way inside. In short, everything Covi must do is written on those ribbons, almost like a book.”

Emily looks confused, but also seems to hold back a laugh. “What? He has an entire book in his head? Does he even know how to read?”

“He doesn’t really have a whole book in his head, and he can’t read, but that ribbon functions just like a book! If he wants to continue to grow and produce more little ’Covi’s, then he must follow the directions on the ribbons. He must also copy these ribbons so that every new Covi will have instructions too.”

Dad tries to explain that Covi uses our cells’ resources, so then our cells don’t have any left for themselves. Emily and I don’t really understand what kind of “resources” he is talking about, so Michael tells us all about it.

“Cells in our body are like a small town. The food we eat gives them strength and energy to operate. Inside the cells are small power plants, roads to transport all kinds of products and even factories that produce all kinds of materials that our body needs to survive. Cells are very tidy, and there are policemen who supervise lots of different things. They make sure that everything is running smoothly and that each cell is fulfilling its role. Cells have their own brains too, just like Covi, and their brains also look just like books with lots of long ribbons. These books tell cells what needs to be done to help our body function and also how to fix things if anything goes wrong.”

“So that’s why Mom always says that we should eat healthy things so we can have strength to grow!” Emily says.

Michael smiles. “Of course. We have to give good fuel to our cells so they can function well and support our bodies.”

Dad explains that as we grow, our bones grow with us. He says there are special bone cells that have to multiply so we can grow even more.

“Wait… what does Covi do inside our cells that lets him grow so fast?” Emily asks, seeming worried again.

“Covi has to use the cells to grow, so he duplicates himself by injecting the long ‘book’ inside his brain into the cell. Then he uses all kinds of materials inside the cell as resources to make a copy of himself. It’s almost like someone coming into your office and making many pictures of themself with a copier. Then they can scatter their pictures all over your office,”Michael reveals.

“Wow. So Covi is just a big thief!”

“That’s exactly right, Emily. He steals the cell’s food and other materials that we need to keep our bodies healthy.”

“Why does he do that?” I ask. “I always settle for what I have and don’t take things from anyone else, no matter how much I may want something,” I say.

“Yeah right!” Emily replies, looking a bit angry. “Did you forget about how you took all of my books without my permission?”

“That’s because Dad says all the books in the house are for everyone to use. That way we can all read whenever we want.” I try to calm Emily down, but I know that she isn’t really mad and we both want to learn more about Covi.

“It’s okay, Emily. Ethan is right when he says that our books are for everyone. If you have special books that you want to keep to yourself, then you can tell us and we will leave them just for you,” Dad says, offering Michael a cup of tea.

Michael nods and gets up to help Dad make tea for everyone. Meanwhile, Emily and I talk about Covi and what we have learned about him so far. He seems scary, and it makes sense why all the adults are talking about him so much. Emily and I try to think of ways we can stop him from taking over our cells. This makes me want to be a scientist so I can help get rid of Covi and other viruses too. Mom watches us and smiles. I think she likes us talking and working together.

When Dad and Michael come back, they sit down, and Michael continues explaining how Covi functions.

“So, after Covi makes lots of little copies of himself, they leave that cell and travel to other cells to infect them too. That is how Covi spreads throughout the body.”

“And the cells don’t fight back? It makes me sad that they just sit there and don’t do anything while Covi is infecting them,” I say.

“Well,” Michael begins, “that is precisely the root of the problem. The cells can’t stop Covi by themselves. Since he steals all of their materials, they are too weak to fight back. There is also another problem that is even bigger than our weak cells. The ‘immune system’ is what helps our body defend itself, and Covi attacks that too…”

“That’s why we get vaccinations at school!” Emily adds.

Michael nods. “That’s true. These vaccinations help our immune system prepare for another virus if it ever enters the body. The immune system is made up of many little soldiers that fight intruders like these viruses. We are always coming up with new vaccines, but we don’t have one for Covi just yet.”

“Well what does Covi do to our immune system?” I start to wonder.

“The immune system realizes that something strange has entered our cells and that it is causing damage to them. It tries to fight back, but because Covi is already hiding inside the cells, our immune system cannot attack Covi directly without harming the whole cell. So, it fights the cells and destroys them, even though we need them to be healthy.”

“That sounds scary,” Emily says. “So instead of just attacking Covi, our immune system attacks all of our cells to try to get rid of him?”

“That’s exactly right, but you don’t need to be scared if you are taking the proper steps to protect yourself,” Michael says, reassuring all of us. “After fighting the cells to destroy Covi, the immune system also releases powerful substances that can destroy other cells. It does this to destroy cells that may contain Covi, but this can also destroy healthy cells that are not infected.”

“So why not make something up that kills Covi but leaves the whole cell alone?” I ask. I think I am starting to understand how all of this works.

“Now you’re thinking like a real scientist, Ethan,” Michael replies. This makes me smile. “That’s what we are trying to figure out these days, but in order to do so, we need to know Covi better. We have to find something that will identify Covi and attack him without destroying the whole cell. This has proven to be extremely difficult.”

“If Covi has little horns and bumps, then you can just catch him by those!” Emily adds in. “Maybe…we can make a fishing rod that catches Covi by his horns and takes him out of our cells.”

This idea makes us all laugh a little, and Michael tells her that it is smart, but he doesn’t think it would be possible.

Dad explains that we might be able to identify a material that you can only find in Covi’s horns. Then, scientists could make another material that sticks to his horns and stops him that way.

“That’s what many people are thinking around the world. They are trying to find a drug that can detect Covi and what he is made from, and then attack him without hurting our cells. It may take some time for this drug to be ready, though,”Michael explains to Dad.

“So, until then, we can’t see Grandma or Grandpa or any of our friends?” Emily asks sadly.

“That’s right, but I think you will be able to see them soon enough. You have to promise to be careful and not get too close, though. And remember, always wear a mask when around other people.”

I start to wonder why we can see our uncles but not our grandparents. Michael explains that it all depends on our immune systems.

“Like I said before, everyone has their own immune system that makes sure no enemies get into our bodies. Even if those enemies manage to get in, there are other tiny soldiers in the immune system that will fight for us. However, even though we may think our immune system is working well, when Covi enters our bodies, he weakens it bit by bit.”

“So…grandparents don’t have an immune system anymore?” Emily asks.

“No, of course they do, but this system, like many other things in our body, works slower as we get older,” Michael goes on. “There is something else that worries us with older people. If they have other illnesses that aren’t even related to Covi, which many older people do, then the virus is much more severe when it gets in their bodies.”

Emily looks sad again, saying “Hmm…I don’t really like Covi anymore.”

Emily is very fond of animals. Before Covi was around, she used to go to a farm to play with and feed all the barn animals every weekend. When Dad had time, he even took her to horse farms. I think Emily believes that Covi is like an animal, and might be friendly, so I try to explain to her that he isn’t a pet.

“Covi is a creature that causes a lot of damage. There are many people who have lost their loved ones because of him,” I say, but she still doesn’t look convinced that Covi isn’t just a mean animal.

Maybe when she becomes a little older, like me, she will understand. Meanwhile, we can both be scientists together and read lots of books. I will help her, and together we can learn more to help get rid of Covi.

“I think that now, since you know a little more about Covi, you can explain everything you know to your friends when you can see them again. Maybe you will both even become scientists when you are older who test things and try to find cures for viruses like Covi,” Michael says, smiling at both of us.

Emily says she probably wants to be an animal doctor, but I agree with Michael. I want to be just like the scientists who are helping find ways to destroy Covi. In a way, they are kind of like superheroes!

I ask Michael if he thinks Covi will disappear from the world any time soon. I remember that we are supposed to visit our cousins this summer. They live by the ocean and we all love visiting them very much. Dad says we probably won’t be able to go to them this year.

“Even though you can’t see them yet, you will be able to see your cousins when Covi goes away for good. If we are all very careful and don’t let him pass from person to person, then our lives will return to how they were before,” Michael explains.

Dad adds in, “Plus, maybe scientists will find a vaccine to fight Covi. If many people get that vaccine, Covi can disappear forever.”

“That’s right,” Michael continues. “If we find a vaccine, then our immune system will have help to prevent Covi from ever entering our bodies.”

Dad seems satisfied hearing this, saying, “As I always remind you two, you always need to read instructions before assembling your toys. The same applies to fighting Covi.”

Michael agrees with Dad and explains that the immune system must look at how a virus is built and then plan out different ways to attack it.

“So vaccines are also like small instruction books for the body?” Emily asks.

“You can think of them like that, but they’re more like the horn of a virus without its body. That way, when we get a vaccine, the soldiers in our immune system can learn how to attack the horn, but the virus’s body is not there to do any harm at the same time. If the real virus ever enters the body, the soldiers will spot the horns and know exactly how to attack,” Michael explains to her.

Emily thought aloud about how such a small creature can beat all the bigger people who are fighting against him. “That just shows that being smart is more important than just being big or strong,” she says.

Emily and I have both really enjoyed learning about Covi, and we want to know more about what happens to the body after Covi multiplies. Michael says that this is a more complicated issue, and that we only know part of what happens.

“When the virus first appeared, everyone thought it was only an infection of the lungs,” he says. “Most people who came to the hospital because of Covi had a hard time breathing, and doctors gave them oxygen to help. Some patients who have Covi can’t breathe at all, so doctors put them on machines that breathe for them.”

“Those are called ‘ventilators,’ right?” I ask. I heard that word once on T.V., but never knew what it could be until now.

Michael nods. “Ventilators help people breathe until they can breathe by themselves again. However, sometimes people get so sick that they don’t fully recover. This usually happens with older people, so that is why you can’t meet with your grandparents yet.”

Emily sighs. “Such a small creature and so many problems…”

Michael tells us that people who get infected by Covi don’t always feel like they have the virus. He says that we can’t tell who will become seriously ill from Covi and who won’t, and that it’s even possible that someone who feels healthy can have him.

“The problem is that some people may have Covi in their bodies without knowing. He hides very well and sometimes doesn’t attack the cells. In these cases, the person may think they are healthy and pass him on to someone else if they are not properly protecting themself and others by wearing a mask and keeping their distance.”

I start to ask Michael lots of other questions about Covi, but he says there are some things that are not known yet because it is too soon to tell. I guess I’ll have to become a scientist so I can find out all of these things myself and help cure other viruses.

“It’s getting a bit late, why don’t you two head to bed,” Mom says to Emily and I.

“But I want to hear more about Covi!” Emily exclaims, crossing her arms.

Michael laughs, “Don’t you worry, Emily. I’ll come back soon and tell you if I learn anything new and interesting about him. Meanwhile, I have a present for both you and Ethan.”

Michael walks to the kitchen where his bag sits on the ground and pulls out a little box.

Emily runs over to him and opens the box to find some face masks with a picture of what I think looks like Covi on them.

“AH! It’s Covi! I’m going to get sick now!” Emily shrieks.

Michael smiles at her and says, “Don’t be silly, Emily. You know so much about Covi now, so you know that he is much, much smaller than this picture. The picture is only there to remind you of that and to block him from going inside your mask.”

Emily sighs, looking relieved. “Okay, I’m not afraid of it anymore.”

Michael shows us how to put our new masks on and says to make sure that both our mouth and nose are fully covered. We both agree that when we are able to see our grandparents again, we will give them each a face mask and show them what Michael taught us.

“Well, I have a lot of work to do if we are going to defeat Covi, so I’m going to head home to get some sleep,” Michael says, smiling.

All of us thank Michael for coming and for teaching us so much about Covi. I feel much better knowing how Covi works inside and outside our bodies because now I know how to protect myself and others.

It’s late, and as I get into bed, I think about all of the things Michael taught me. I feel much smarter now, and if I learned anything from Michael, it’s that being informed will help you stay more calm in a scary situation. That night, I dream about becoming a scientist. Maybe one day, I’ll wear a real scientist’s coat and help save the world from viruses like Covi. After all, he is just a little creature, and if we work together, we can defeat him and all be superheroes.