Viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, and algae – a layperson's view
Introduction During this extraordinary period of COVID-19 pandemic, the media use the word virus endlessly every day. Among others, the media remind the viewers repetitively how long the virus might remain active on various surfaces. So, the layperson asks: Is a virus a living organism? What is the size of a virus? How are viruses different from bacteria, or parasites, or fungi, or algae? These and similar questions cross a layperson's mind but are not answered by the media. This article attempts to address some of these questions. It is not a comprehensive narrative on the subject. Far from it, this article only touches upon a few of the relevant terminologies and tries to demystify those for the layperson. The author wishes to disclose here that he is not a medical doctor, or virologist, or microbiologist. He is a layperson who delved into the subject to satiate his curiosity. He searched reliable sources and collated simple answers to some of the questions and thoug...