“We are facing a global health crisis unlike any in the 75-year history of the United Nations – one that is killing people, spreading human suffering, and upending people’s lives. But this is much more than a health crisis. It is a human, economic and social crisis. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has been characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is attacking societies at the core.”
This ominous quotation is the opening paragraph of a media release from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, titled, “Everyone Included: Social Impact of COVID-19.” This carefully crafted release resonates like the warning signs reserved for the labels of dangerous or poisonous goods. The phrases, “unlike any in the 75-year history,” “human, economic and social crisis,” and “attacking societies at the core,” by themselves are rather disturbing, but taken collectively, will shake even the most resolute of persons to the very core.
In a matter of a few months, ‘normal life’ as we knew it, is fast becoming a fading memory of the good old days. With each passing day, as the number of cases and deaths as tracked by the Johns Hopkins University continue to escalate, the harsh reality that we are slowly drifting further and further into uncharted territory begins to creep into the daily mindset. As the octopi-like tentacles of the crisis continue to spread and permeate every aspect of our daily lives, more and more, we begin to appreciate what we had taken for granted for all these years.
The temporary changes which we were forced to adapt to, in the early stages of the crisis, such as the wearing of masks and social distancing, seem to be evolving, rather irritatingly, into the ‘new normalcy.’ Lockdowns and curfews, terms normally associated with civil unrest, became part of the everyday vernacular. Businesses forced to close on a temporary basis at the onset of the pandemic are disappearing off the economic landscape. The travel industry, among many others, has ground to a screeching halt. As governments worldwide struggle to respond to the ever increasing fallout of human suffering, the direct spinoff of the economic collapse of industries, the inevitable question arises. Is there an end in sight to this pandemic? In the immediate short term, the answer to that question appears to be a resounding “no.”
On Monday, two leading experts in the UK, Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance stated that unless the UK introduces further measures, the country could see the number of cases doubling every seven days and reaching 50,000 a day, by mid-October, as it follows trends set by Spain and France, where fatalities are starting to rise again. It is expected that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce new restrictions – read second lockdown – this week.
On the other hand, leading German virologist Hendrik Steeck opines that countries should avoid the idea of mass hysteria. “It is time to stop all the alarmism. We can outsmart the virus using all our knowledge. We have to realize that COVID-19 is going to be with us for a long time and we must learn to live it. We can’t keep shutting down our daily lives and paralyzing everything,” Steeck stated. Is Steeck’s model the one to follow? Germany currently has the lowest mortality rate among Western Nations with 113 per million population, compared to Spain (652), USA (615), UK (614), Italy (591) and France (479).
According to Johns Hopkins University figures, 30 million have been infected and over 940,000 persons have died from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China late last year. It has been quite a year of upheaval for us all and only our indomitable human spirit will see us through this crisis.
