Virus Appreciation Day seems like a strange holiday, but after a little bit of thought about it, it’s actually not all that weird. Although viruses are some of the most damaging and deadly things to ravage human and animal health, their simplicity is something that can be truly appreciated.

These bits of genetic material aren’t technically “alive” but they’re able to manipulate cells so that the cells are forced to produce more viruses. It’s this simple design that allows them to spread so quickly throughout the body. And it’s for this reason that we should take a moment to show viruses the respect they deserve.

The History Of Virus Appreciation Day

Unfortunately, we were unable to uncover the origins of this holiday. We suspect that this holiday was probably created by some virologist somewhere, but at this time, we can’t back up that assertion with cold, hard facts. We’ll continue to search for the origins of Virus Appreciation Day, but at this time, we just don’t know where it came from or who invented it.

Important Facts About Viruses

Below are some of the facts about viruses that we learned while researching Virus Appreciation Day. We think that the below facts will inform everyone reading about viruses and give them a launching pad for continuing research on their own.

• Viruses cannot turn food into energy, and cannot replicate without the use of a human or animal cell.
• Although viruses are not technically “alive,” they can evolve through natural selection.
• Viruses have no cell nucleus and are covered with a protective coating known as a Capsid.
• Viruses are known to infect animals, plants, protozoa, fungi, and even bacteria.
• It’s been estimated that 10% of human DNA originally came from viruses.
• There are an estimated 10 quintillion viruses on Earth.
• Most viral pathogens that end up infecting humans begin in other animals.
• If a virus makes an inter-species jump, it can be devastating to the new population infected by it.
• Bats have extremely strong immune systems, which puts evolutionary pressure on viruses. This results in more dangerous viruses emerging from bat populations.

Observing Virus Appreciation Day

On Virus Appreciation Day, everyone should take the time to learn more about viruses and what they can do to the human body. These little pieces of genetic code might be simple in their operation, but they can also be extremely dangerous to human health. We also recommend that everyone observing this day use the hashtag #VirusAppreciationDay to spread the word about this holiday.