Why Do We Pay More Attention to Viruses Vs. Aging?
Pandemics lead to increased contemplation of death. A surprising result may be the acceleration of life extension and age reversal therapies!
Recently, the number of world-wide casualties to Covid-19 went over 100,000. Somewhere over 80% of people who die from the virus are over the age of 60.
100,000 is a relevant bench-mark as that is the approximate number of people who die every day from age-related illness.
One wonders;
- Why don’t we share the same concern over the daily deaths from age as we do of virus-related death?
- Why do governments and the younger people make personal and economic sacrifices via social distancing, face masks etc. to reduce the risk of death to the elderly?
- Why don’t we think more about advancing rejuvenation therapies that could make older people essentially young again?
One clear reason is that there is not yet a general awareness that aging is a condition that can be treated – and potentially reversed. However, there is reason to believe this will change – and possible very soon.
A Sudden Shift In Expectations
At two conferences I attended recently, Bio-gerontologist Aubrey de Grey now believes that, due to the increasing evidence in the lab of effective healthy life extension therapies, there will be a sudden shift in perception. The supporting science will result in more and more credible scientific voices confirming this – and that it is just a matter of time. The public at large will go through a sudden shift to expecting they can live much longer. He believes that this big and sudden shift is likely to happen sometime within 3-5 years.
People will then actively expect this to happen – even if available therapies are still over 10 years away. If they see there is not enough support, funding or progress they will become very vocal. This is similar to how general awareness of the threat of Covid-19 created a world-wide awareness and expectation that governments will put the right amount of effort and funding to solve the problem as soon as possible.
Speeding Up Health Extension Therapies
What is interesting is the the global threat of pandemic will likely result in an increase in respect for what science can do. It will also likely free up funding to worthwhile researchers. It may speed up the FDA’s timeline between testing and clinical intervention. And, it will likely accelerate the development of breakthrough therapies.
One example of this is the stem cell therapy start-up company Celularity which has received the “first F.D.A. approval for Covid-19 cell therapy.” Covid-9 testing using their therapy is already underway. But this company is not just looking at a potential treatment for this virus. Celularity’s website includes this comment on its overall goals;
“With this approach, our ambition is to augment human immunity and longevity, and to improve the human health span.”
Acceleration of progress as a result of this pandemic may shorten the timing of Aubrey de Grey’s “sudden shift” even more!
Live long, live well, and prosper!
Michael
