Genetic Engineering From Foods to Vaccines is Changing Society for the Better During

COVID-19 Pandemic

Thesis statement: Because of this global pandemic, the time has come to push aside the
conspiracies and accept that genetic engineering is all around us and can positively impact
people's health by mitigating the looming food shortage and providing a medical response to the
virus.

Do you think genetic engineering is a good thing? Before you answer that, consider that

nearly all parts of the world are suffering due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We are all asking

ourselves, when will this all be over? In the meantime, stay-at-home orders have impacted

almost every aspect of life including our food chain. In all of this chaos, genetic engineering may

hold the key to getting back to a sense of normalcy.

Genetically engineered (GE) crops can be part of the answer. Genetic engineering

produces plant strains that are ​insect resistant, can survive in harsh environments, and have a

longer shelf life​. Genetically engineered foods are already all around us, growing on many of our

farms and stockpiling our grocery shelves. It may seem more like science fiction but it is reality.

The Covid-19 worldwide pandemic has helped to shine a light on genetic engineering

and the foods it can produce. According to ​a report by USA Today,​ “40 to 75 percent of the food

in a typical supermarket contains genetically engineered ingredients.” Examples of genetically

engineered foods include sugar beets, soybeans, corn, apples, and squash.

Bolstering the food chain is only part of the problem. Everyone is eager to get back to life

as normal. The creation of a vaccine is critical to allowing life as we knew it before the pandemic

to resume. Scientists are using ​genetic engineering to accomplish that task​. On the front lines of

the COVID battle, scientists are using ​genetic engineering science to create a vaccine​.
 The vaccine is designed to alter the genetic code of the virus so that its presence in the

bloodstream does not cause illness, but triggers the immune system to produce antibodies that

are then available to combat the virus, should a person be exposed to the infectious strain.

The benefits of genetic engineering, whether in agriculture or infectious disease control, can be

life-changing, but it is not without controversy!

Despite the benefits of genetic engineering, many people oppose the idea. Lack of

education fuels conspiracy theories that condemn GE. In the absence of facts,​ misinformed

beliefs create unjustifiable perceptions​. Research suggests that the very ​people who are most

vocal in their opposition to genetic engineering are the least informed.​ Often opponents of

genetic engineering cite religious objections to modifying the building blocks of God’s creations.

In addition to agriculture and vaccines, genetic engineering can improve life in many

ways. Genetic engineering can ​produce stronger plants, eliminate illnesses in young and unborn

children, help prevent genetic disorders, and allow humans to potentially live longer​. The science

is sound and supported by a significant body of research.

When it comes to formulating an opinion about genetic engineering, emotion should not

cloud our judgment. The more we learn about genetic engineering, the more able we will be to

make informed decisions about the science behind it, its contributions to humanity, and the

potential for the future.