The ecological consequences of a pandemic.
Biol Lett
; 16(11): 20200641, 2020 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33202184
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered human behaviour in profound ways, prompting some to question whether the associated economic and social impacts might outweigh disease impacts. This fits into a burgeoning ecological paradigm suggesting that for both predator-prey and parasite-host interactions, non-consumptive effects (avoidance) can be orders of magnitude stronger than consumptive effects (sickness and death). Just as avoidance of predators and parasites imposes substantial costs on prey and hosts, altered behaviour to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 has impacted human fitness and wellbeing. But the effects of infectious disease avoidance do not stop there; non-consumptive effects of predators and parasites often trigger cascading indirect effects in natural systems. Similarly, shifts in human behaviour due to COVID-19 have triggered myriad indirect effects on species and the environment, which can be positive, negative or neutral. We urge researchers to recognize that the environmental impacts associated with lockdowns are indirect effects of the virus. In short, the global response to COVID-19 suggests that the non-consumptive effects of a pathogen, and resulting indirect effects, can be profound.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Pneumonia Viral
/
Comportamento Predatório
/
Infecções por Coronavirus
/
Cadeia Alimentar
/
Pandemias
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article