Would you become vegetarian to prevent future viruses transmitting to humans

[Welikebeingcosy]

Just a curious thought- would you become vegetarian if it prevented animals from being in close contact in huge numbers to humans?

Yes or No, and why?

I don't know why someone expressing a different opinion as you would be classed as 'goady'?

I've never said it would 'prevent' viruses, but would reduce the likelihood of a pandemic. Surely if you know that new diseases can jump from animals to humans you would want to eliminate the possibility of it happening to this extent again by reducing the chances of coming into contact with animals? Something doesn't have to be 100 percent effective for it to be a solution to reduce suffering. I'm sure you can still hump a camel once or twice in a lifetime and not have that risk on your mind- just as you know that with a semi lockdown the risk is lower with you coming into contact with the disease, than with no lockdown. I'm sure everyone was told to wash their hands after touching a sheep as a child so people do realise the risk.

I'm talking about reducing the chances here, rather than completely eliminating part of science.

no, but reducing it - definitely

we have vastly reduced out animal product consumption after doing veganuary last year.
we now have vegetarian or vegan food 5 days a week. fish and low impact meat (mostly chicken or turkey) once a week each.

From the answers so far the general thinking here is 'no because it doesn't give me 100% guarantee of safety'. Interesting.

I have

Millions of people in the world are already vegan or vegetarian. It hasn't stopped covid-19. Cutting out animal products would only work if virtually everyone did it.

I've never said it would 'prevent' viruses, but would reduce the likelihood of a pandemic
Please provide verifiable evidence that it would reduce the likelihood of pandemics.

I'm not talking about eating it
If you are not talking about eating it, then where does the "everyone becoming vegetarian" in your OP come from? There is no necessary correlation between the proximity of animals to humans and eating habits of humans. And there is no correlation between producers of food and virus zoonosis.

I don't know why someone expressing a different opinion as you would be classed as 'goady'?
Well since there is absolutely no foundation for the premise posted in the OP, then it comes across as very goady!

I'm sure everyone was told to wash their hands after touching a sheep as a child so people do realise the risk
Oddly my parents never once mentioned washing my hands after touching a sheep. There weren't a lot of sheep in the 60's inner cities. Perhaps that has changed these days?

Your arguments are becoming less lucid as you go.

The problem is people don't want to stop which is why you're getting the snarky denials, I assume.

Interesting - I haven't actually said whether I eat meat or not, or whether I am vegetarian or vegan. I have asked for evidence that zoonosis would not occur, or that there would be fewer or no pandemics, if humans became vegetarian. Because that is what the OP said, and so it is far from "snarky" to ask for evidence of that claim.

I totally get your point and if everyone became vegetarian or ideally vegan then yes I'm pretty sure we'd have reduced the amount of future viruses we'd likely be exposed to as a species

Since you are now making the same claim, perhaps you could provide the evidence to back it up that the OP hasn't yet provided?

Your entire argument makes no sense.

I'm already vegetarian (virtually vegan) & would love an argument that makes more people become vegetarian/vegan but this ain't it!!

Yeah I was thinking the same about the vaccines @Burpeesshmurpees. Or like saying there is no point wiping your bum because it will get dirty again tomorrow. Or no point screening for certain cancers because you wouldn't catch every single one. Or saying that there is no point educating people on safe newborn sleeping because 'not everybody will follow it'. I'm used to hearing people in The UK saying there is no point to trying something because of xyz, but if I listened to them all I'd never have travelled the world and seen even better ways of living. And yes my point was to say vegetarianism rather than vegan because vegan would be more of an idealism and you get a lot more meals out of an egg producing chicken than you do for one bred for the sole purpose of meat, so vegetarianism would have a huge impact on its own and then veganism could be considered later done the line if it was still an issue- although there could be safer ways to still get eggs and milk ethically. I'm trying to cut meat out too and seeing the source of this virus is making me want to even more.

@moondust001 yeah it has changed quite a bit- city farms, nature reserves and easy transport links to the countryside for a day trip.

@bestoption maybe you could work on one?

The major reason I am primarily vegan is environmental, and zoonotic disease transmission is a large part of that. Animal cruelty is another factor, but I'm aware there are ways of harvesting say, eggs, which aren't cruel. Because I'm not willing to put the time and effort into sourcing animal products ethically I largely avoid them - and I have no doubt that the vast majority of animal products sold and consumed in this country are completely unethical, from both environmental and cruelty perspective. I don't think the arguments over what's 'natural' hold water at all. There are plenty of things we could call natural which humans have collectively decided not to do, for the most part. We can* live perfectly well on a vegan diet with a modest amount of planning, whether or not our evolutionary ancestors did. We aren't felines, who need meat to live.

*I say primarily because I might for instance take dairy milk in coffee when out if no alternative is available, but that is becoming increasingly rare as people become more aware.

I'm vegetarian but I doubt that this would sway many. We already know how much damage is done to the environment by the meat industry, but it doesn't seem to be a significant concern for the majority. Why would this be any different?

Yes but I am already a vegetarian

No.

The covid mutation in Mink that passed back to humans didn't happen by eating mink.

Infections pass from animals to humans in other ways than eating

@catlovingdoctor

No. I think as mammals we are naturally driven and designed to eat meat. Our teeth are formed to chew it. I accept we should probably eat a bit less but no I wouldn't cut it out.

Almost every mammal has canines, the largest of which belong to hippos who are herbivores.

Our flat back teeth are designed to grind plants. Our sharp teeth are not strong or large enough to rip through bone and sinew like carnivorous teeth.

We were only able to eat meat because we developed tools such as knives for cutting and rocks for smashing bones.

@Newuser991 I don't think vegetarians purchase mink fur coats so that would be included too.

No, because that hugely oversimplifies the drivers behind zoonotic disease emergence.

This is silly. Wasn’t bubonic plague caused by rats/fleas from infected rats? Worst pandemic that we know of and it wasn’t from animal husbandry.

No because I like meat. I buy ethically sourced British meat mostly from farms within 20 miles from here, full traceability by my butcher. Obviously eating out or the occasional ready meal isn't as good but I do my best and pay for that too