Has viral pressure really increased? It seems stuff spread globally a few generations ago with things like the flu in the early 1900s. Even in the middle ages you had stuff like the plague.
What has changed is the sterility of our environment. Better bathing, more hand washing, food safety rules, etc. There have been theories that autoimmune diseases might be increasing because we aren't exposed to enough "normal" pathogens.
I'm highly suspicious that higher viral pressures are the cause of increasing dementia rates, as it seems we're exposed to less today.
What has changed is the sterility of our environment. Better bathing, more hand washing, food safety rules, etc. There have been theories that autoimmune diseases might be increasing because we aren't exposed to enough "normal" pathogens.
I'm highly suspicious that higher viral pressures are the cause of increasing dementia rates, as it seems we're exposed to less today.