Host, parasite, and failure at the colony level: COVID-19 and the US information ecosystem

Abstract

This review uses host-parasite interactions in nonhuman species to frame the poor US response to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The co-evolutionary interaction between host and parasite results in changes to hosts that are achieved through genetic evolution but involve collective information sharing and behavioral adaptation at the colony level. Common examples are described among ants, bees, and other insects. The US defenses against SARS-CoV-2 were weakened by malformations in the information ecosystem that disrupted the dissemination of information while spreading misinformation and disinformation. Distortions arising from political corruption, and magnified by social media platforms, were especially consequential. I conclude that this failure may ultimately result in a social evolution that weakens US global dominance. On the other hand, if the crisis contributes to innovation and reform in the information ecosystem, that may contribute to a more egalitarian and democratic system for the production and dissemination of knowledge.