Abstract

Although it is abundantly clear that the COVID-19 crisis is exacting enormous global medical and economic tolls
upon humanity, a silver lining has emerged in that the situation is causing a growing segment of our society to
recognize that the time has come to rethink our relationship with all life on this planet-other humans, nonhumans,
and the earth, a life form in itself. As we begin to find our way through this crisis, it is imperative for us as a species
to reflect deeply upon what this and other related human health crises are telling us about our role in these
increasingly frequent events and about what we can do to avoid them in the future. Failure to do so may result in the
unwitting extermination of all or a good part of our species from this planet.

Keywords: COVID-19; Public Health; Epidemiology; Pulmonary disease; Neurology