DISCLAIMER:
1 - THIS FIC IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN ACCURATE DEPICTION OF THE EFFECTS OF SARS-COV-2 VIRUS AND COVID-19 DISEASE.
2 - Any cure depicted in this fic should be subjected to scrutiny and not be considered an endorsement.
3 - I am not a medical professional.
Apologies for the heavy disclaimer. However, it must be written to adhere to my country's strict Anti-Fake News Law. This fic is not intended to spread misinformation about the current pandemic, nor does it endorse any treatment not yet scientifically verified.
Instead, the reason for me writing this fic is to show the importance of our immune system in fighting off not only the SARS-COV-2 virus but any virus/pathogen in general. The cells in our immune system are total badasses, and I'd like to depict them in a medium that readers can appreciate.
In addition, please check the A/N notes after each chapter as this is where I'll be adding all the research materials I've used as well as some explanations and clarifications.
Ok, enough of the heavy stuff, let's continue.
Prologue
Day (N LESS THAN 0)
It did not know what to call itself.
It did not know that it could not know what to call itself.
But if it did, then it would know that it was called a virus.
Specifically, it would know that it was a coronavirus due to the hundreds of spike proteins protruding out from its Lipid Bilayer, which make it look like a crown or corona.
The virus orb floated at the bottom of a large enclosed dome called an Alveolus, seemingly oblivious to its surroundings. It couldn't know anything since it was neither alive nor dead. As a virus, it couldn't reproduce on its own, nor could it convert energy for nutrients. On its own, it couldn't do anything. Only when it does attach itself to a host cell with the appropriate receptors for its protein spikes could it start replicating its RNA, stored on its viral capsid, to create more copies of itself.
It was a mindless fluke of nature.
And, as such, it would never know the death and destruction it would bring just so it could replicate its selfish data.
-0-0-0-
The infected endothelial cell that vomited out the floating virus roared as he lunged at a pale-looking neutrophil clad in an ashen grey uniform with nothing but his outstretched hands to grapple.
The neutrophil drew out his blade and, in one fell slash, decapitated the infected cell. Crimson cytoplasm burst out from the headless cell's neck before falling to the floor, which was riddled with yellowish pus and ichor.
With his prey now dead, the neutrophil stood up and scanned for any more enemies. He found none. This headless corpse was the last infected endothelial cell to be dealt with in this sector.
The virus infection was sudden and novel. It caught everyone by surprise, but with a strong and healthy immune system, they were able to contain the infection in a short period.
The neutrophil looked up and spotted the virus that the infected cell vomited out, now floated high above for him to jump or hit with a thrown knife. He furrowed his brows as his eyes darted towards the Capillary corridor that encircled the Alveolus. The blood vessel corridor was marked with sheets of transparent glass that let anyone on the other side glimpse into the cavernous interior of the Alveolus. However, due to some damage from the virus, some sections of the blood vessel became dilated, forming cracks on the glass and large holes big enough for a cell to fall.
The virus had not yet reached the level of the Capillary. He surmised he could still catch it if he climbed all the way to the blood vessel corridor and threw his knife at the floating virus.
He lifted his wrist to check on his circadian-meter. He didn't have much time left.
As he was about to climb the walls of the Alveolus, he noticed an erythrocyte with short auburn hair peeked out from the hole in the Capillary.
"Hekkekkyu-san!" said the red blood cell. On her hands, she carried a box labeled CO2, which meant she was carrying Carbon Dioxide canisters to be disposed of in one of the supply depots nearby.
As an erythrocyte, her task was to dispose of Carbon Dioxide here in the Alveolus in exchange for Oxygen to be delivered to a particular cell recipient living somewhere in the world.
"Sekkekkyu-san," he replied as he started climbing towards the Capillary opening. "Stay there, I'm coming for you."
Like her fellow red blood cells, she wore a black shirt, short jeans, a red beret, and a red jacket. Contrast this with his grey military fatigue, and boots with splotches of crimson cytoplasm from his dead enemies to further highlight his dangerous trade.
"Eh? Uh well," the erythrocyte shifted her legs, feeling somewhat uneasy. "I see you're busy, and, you know, we could talk later if you want."
"Oh no, it's not a bother," the neutrophil shook his head. "I was about to climb this wall anyway."
"Oh, I see," the red blood cell smiled, her cheeks started to flush red. "It's good to see you again and unhurt."
The walls of the Alveolus were smooth and curvy, and he had to carefully hold onto bolts or latches so as not to fall.
He gave her a curt nod. "The infection is mostly now contained. It was not that serious than what we expected, so we should not have any more prob-"
Alarms suddenly blared out as the ground began to shake violently.
The shaking caught the erythrocyte off guard, and she lost her balance with her CO2 canisters. Not wanting her box to fall, she tried to regain her bearing, but instead, she stepped on some loose ground and fell head first towards the bottom of the Alveolus. Her mouth was wide open, but everything happened so quickly she forgot how to scream.
"Sekkekkyu-san!" The neutrophil shouted. He eyed the falling red blood cell, and when she was close enough, he leaped away from the wall to catch her mid-fall.
The neutrophil managed to grab and secure his erythrocyte friend as they landed on the ground safely, with his legs and knees acting like a springboard.
"Hekkekkyu-san, I'm sorry!" she apologized as she clutched tightly on her savior. "I, I didn't mean to-"
But the neutrophil heard none of her apology. He knew what the alarm meant, and he knew they only had seconds to prepare.
"Get down," he growled. "Get down and hold on tight. Don't you ever let go!"
The red blood cell nodded, and she lay down on the ground, not minding the puddle of pus, soaking her uniform as the neutrophil laid on top of her. She then wrapped her arms and legs around him. She could feel his mitochondrion beating near her chest, and she closed her eyes as she placed all her trust on him.
The neutrophil grabbed his knives, one for each hand, and then dug them deep into the floor, pressing his body with hers as close as possible.
Then as if on cue, a strong gale rushed into the Alveoli with a force of a miniature tornado.
The shearing winds howled as it spun round and round until inside the dome until everything that was not bolted into the walls was swept clear from their surroundings.
The erythrocyte cried in terror, but the neutrophil held her close. He used his entire body to shield her from the raging storm.
The neutrophil clenched his teeth. He could see the supply depot above turning its fans and sucking in the oxygen-rich air. Likewise, an exhaust pipe blew out carbon dioxide to be dispensed out of the Alveoli.
A few seconds passed before the swirling air now full of CO2 was sucked out into the opening of the Alveolus along with any unfastened debris, or particulates.
A couple more seconds passed by, and the alarms went silent once more.
He eased and let out a sigh. He stood up and took a step back from the erythrocyte to give her some space.
"Sekkekkyu-san, are you alright?"
Still shaking from terror, the red blood cell nodded as she staggered back to her feet. "Y-Yes, Hekkekkyu-san. Still shaken, but I'll be alright."
"That's good." He gave her an assuring smile. "And I'm sorry for being so forceful."
"Oh no, no, not at all," the red blood cell waved her hand with embarrassment. "It's not really a big deal, and I should be the one to thank you."
The auburn-haired erythrocyte looked up into the large opening of the Alveolus above that immediately connected with a bronchiole. "If it wasn't for you, I might have been sucked out along with other stuff not bolted to the floor or wall like that floating virus I saw."
The neutrophil's mode darkened. He turned to look at the slain endothelial cell that he had neutralized and found him still lying on the floor with his head nowhere to be found. He then looked up and muttered a silent curse. He killed the infected cell, but he didn't destroy the spiky virus it vomited out at the last second.
The immune system of the world dealt a swift and merciless campaign against the virus infection. The virus was completely new, but the world had invested heavily in increasing the potency of the immune system, so much so that it only caused minor damage. The temperature was only increased to tolerable levels, and the coughing mechanism was only mild severity. B cells were also quick to concoct enough antibodies to stop most of the virus from binding to vulnerable cells with ACE-2 receptors.
Overall, the response of the immune system was commendable, but that didn't mean they could afford to become complacent.
The escaped virus could infect other cells in the world, or it could even escape entirely from the respiratory system and infect other worlds.
"Hekkekkyu-san?" the red blood cell tilted her head to give him a concerned look. "Is everything alright?"
The neutrophil shook his head and smiled. "No, everything is fine."
He then grabbed her hands as he led her towards a closed hatch nearby.
"Come on," he muttered. "Let's get out of here before the next breath."
-0-0-0-
The virus sped its way across the vast system of the respiratory tract. From the Alveolus, it exited towards the small bronchioles racing further and further up. In just a fraction of a second, it reached the Tertiary Bronchus, the Secondary Bronchus, and up to the Primary Bronchus. From there, it passed by millions of hair-like strands called Cilia covered with mucus. There were a couple of patches of black regions that marked where the infection struck. Fresh endothelial cells were now repairing the destroyed layers, replacing them with new ones.
The virus then cruised out of the Primary Bronchus and into a massive cylindrical tunnel called the Trachea, where it gained more speed. Other debris, mucus, and water also flew into the Trachea from the two primary Bronchi tubes. The virus then got merged with a water droplet as it sped all the way to the top until it reached the flappy layers of the Epiglottis, which helped prevent solid food from entering the Trachea and into the lungs.
After that, a surge of gale-force wind shot out the virus all the way to the mouth and finally exiting from the world.
Compared to its surroundings, the virus was way beyond microscopic. The world outside the world it came from was unbelievably vast, and it would have been a humbling experience if only the virus was even capable of being humble.
As such, it could not. It was nothing more than a fluke of nature, and so it floated in the smog, thick air, waiting for the next world to infect.
A/N:
Hello there!
For anyone who doesn't know me yet, I've written another Cells at Work fanfic about the Ebola virus that reads like a Warhammer 40k fic full of insane fight scenes and a very liberal interpretation of scientific accuracy.
I had fun writing that fic, but now, I'd like to write something more serious.
Anywho, as what the heavy disclaimer above said, this is my attempt to show the effects of the SARS-COV-2 virus on the body but as told in the style of the anthropomorphized world of Cells at Work. The cells of our immune system are completely badass, and I also would like to show here how they defend us from invaders like this coronavirus.
In this story, I would aim to stick as much as I can with the scientific literature as well as concocting a readable story.
Of course, I am a writer of fiction, so it is to be expected I might bend some medical stuff up to suit the plot. If that happens, I will surely add some explanations here in the A/N.
Again, I cannot stress this enough, I am not a medical professional or a microbiologist by trade. I don't expect to get most things right, but I'll try. After all, I am just someone who somehow got hooked to the world of microbiology after watching this anime. ^^
By the way, I've also uploaded this story in Wattpad. You can search the name of this fic in the Wattpad search bar and simply find my story. You can also search my name as an author. My explanations in Wattpad will have images.
Ok, so let's go to the interesting tidbits shown in this prologue.
Interesting Tidbits:
What the hell is a virus?
Yeah, what are they? And why are they not considered alive? Or not alive?
Just as these viruses love to annoy you with life-threatening symptoms, so too do they love to annoy scientists about their definition. According to Wikipedia, a life form has 7 characteristics, namely: homeostasis, organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and reproduction.
Just talking about the characteristic of growth, viruses already fail on that criterion. Viruses do not grow compared to cells or humans. Likewise, a virus couldn't reproduce on its own or with another virus. Life forms reproduce via asexual reproduction or lovey-dovey beneath the sheets. Viruses can't do any of that. They need to invade a host to start replicating themselves.
Parts of a Virus:
It actually depends on what type of virus we're talking about. For a coronavirus, it has hundreds of spiked proteins it can use to attach itself to receptors on a cell. These spiked proteins are located in the virus' outer surface called the Lipid Bilayer.
Fun fact, the Lipid Bilayer contains molecules that are attracted to soap molecules. When these molecules meet with soap molecules, they'll attach themselves to the soap molecules, ripping the virus apart.
That's why it's important to wash your hands with soap for twenty seconds.
Inside the Lipid Bilayer, you will find the Viral Capsid, which contains the virus' RNA. This is the RNA that is used by infected cells to create more viruses.
Parts of the Respiratory System:
Just like anything in our body, the Respiratory System is insanely complicated. In this story, I've simplified it to only show the main parts. The respiratory system is like a large tree but upside down. After the mouth or the nose is the Trachea or windpipe. The opening of the Trachea is capped by a layer of tissue called the Epiglottis, which opens or closes the Trachea depending on if you're breathing, or swallowing. This is all automatic. The Epiglottis helps you out by preventing your food from entering your lungs, but instead to the stomach.
As you go deeper into the lungs, you'll notice the walls of the Trachea, and the subsequent smaller tubes, are covered with hair-like projections called Cilia. These 'hairs' help with dispelling out mucus all the way to the opening of the Trachea like little conveyors. The mucus that coats it actually helps with the trapping of foreign particles like bacteria or viruses.
Next to the Trachea are two tubes that branch out to your left, and the right lungs called the Primary Bronchi or Primary Bronchus for the singular form. Now moving inside the Primary Bronchus, we further branch out into smaller tubes called the Secondary Bronchus. Going smaller, still, we have the Tertiary Bronchus. After that, we are in the Bronchioles, which finally connect to the Alveoli or Alveolus, where the prologue above is set.
Now Alveoli are microscopic sacs inside our lungs. The Oxygen we breathe is sent to the Alveoli and is then absorbed by the blood vessels that surround it, called the Capillaries. The red blood cells then exchange the Carbon Dioxides they are carrying with fresh Oxygen.
In the prologue, we see the virus getting whooshed out from the Alveolus all the way to the Trachea. In real life, what will happen is the virus will likely get trapped in the mucus, which is then pushed up by the millions of Cilias all the way to the Trachea where it will be dispelled out as a cough or as a spit.
A Healthy Immune System:
Hakkekkyu-san pondered that due to their world investing heavily in increasing the potency of the immune system, the virus only inflicted minor damage. So how does one have a healthy immune system?
I thought this has a straight answer. However, it's really not. When someone says to you to boost your immune system, you might think of injecting a vaccine to do that. Yes, vaccines do make your immune system stronger to a particular virus, but absent that, what else? Well, the best way to have a healthy immune system is to actually choose a healthy lifestyle.
Like any system in the world, it can only function correctly if it's not overburdened. When you're running multiple programs all at once, you're taxing the load of your device. If thousands of patients suddenly need medical attention in a short period, you are overtaxing your country's healthcare system.
The same thing also applies to our immune system. If one smokes a lot, binges alcohol, lazes around the sofa all day, and has an unhealthy diet, this will give more work for your immune system to do ESPECIALLY if you're getting older. The Cells at Work Code Black manga brilliantly depicts this scenario of what an unhealthy older body does to the immune system.
So, long story short, one of the best ways to have a strong immune system (but not the only one I must stress!) is to live a healthy lifestyle.
Alright, that's it for now. Please do follow/favorite/comment if you like this story. Thanks.
Stay safe, everyone!
References:
Note: If you're reading this in Fanfiction dot net, links are not displayed (because FF is still stuck in 2006). As such, you can simply search these references in Google, and the first result should be the article. For Youtube links, just use the code and type it after the Youtube URL.
1 - Wikipedia - Life
2 - Are viruses dead or alive? published in Khanacademy -
3 - Coronavirus: Is hand-washing really the best thing we can do to stop the spread of COVID-19? By Sara Rigby at Sciencefocus
4 - COVID-19 Animation: What Happens If You Get Coronavirus? By Nucleus Medical Media
Youtube: watch?v=5DGwOJXSxqg
A primer on how SARS-COV-2 infects the body and how the immune system responds.
5 - What's inside the lungs? | Lung Dissection | We The Curious by We the Curious (NSFW)
Youtube: watch?v=9xhxALk9gm8
6 - How to boost your immune system published in Harvard Health Publishing
A/N:
Originally Published on April 30, 2020