If you were on an island alone or with just a few other people, and NO direct contact with anyone from society, would you be essentially immune to contageous sicknesses? Would things like the common cold and flu etc. just not be an issue in such an environment?
Many viruses have animal vectors/resovoirs. So, no.
If the virus can mutate and be found anywhere (can you kill every germ everywhere?), you can be infected, but the likelihood becomes very slim.
You wouldn’t be immune, no. Immunity implies that if the virus showed up, it wouldn’t be able to infect you. You’d still be susceptable if the viruses make an appearance. Viruses can jump from animals, but it wouldn’t be an inevitability in this case.
New Scientist had an article on this a couple of years ago.
The island of Spitzbergen, inthe Arctic ocean, is isolated for several months every year. Once the ice closes in colds do indeed virtually disappear until the first boatload of spring.
The really odd thing is, the virus that causes a particular spring’s colds does not match the viruses brought in by the visitors! They just seem to spring up when people mix.
Sorry, I didn’t mean immune. I don’t know why I said that. I guess I couldn’t think of a proper word for what I was trying to express.
:smack: