The Coronavirus Pandemic Is Ominous And Different

 

WORLD

End of the Beginning

More people have died from the coronavirus since late last year than HIV, malaria, influenza and cholera combined. Covid-19 might have supplanted tuberculosis and hepatitis as the world’s most lethal infection. The major difference between the new plague and those of old is that the former is still spreading – and quickly.

More than 1 million people have died from the virus worldwide.

“Like nothing seen in more than a century, the coronavirus has infiltrated every populated patch of the globe, sowing terror and poverty, infecting millions of people in some nations and paralyzing entire economies,” wrote the New York Times.

Ironically, in a sense, it has united the whole world.

Italy perhaps has been the most uplifting case study in the pandemic so far. Struck hard by the virus early this year, innovative and widespread testing and other measures have recently pushed rates in the country to among the lowest in Europe, the BBC reported. This Euronews broadcast provided more insight into Italy’s success, citing widespread public acceptance of safety measures among the most important factors.

Still, infections are up, meanwhile, in neighboring France, where officials recently instituted a ban on gyms, bars and parties in hard-hit areas such as Paris but are still allowing restaurants to stay open, for now, TheLocal wrote. Businesses in Paris and elsewhere portrayed the measure as yet another imposition that would hasten their demise. They’ve launched a campaign, “Let’s Stay Open” to push for help.

Germany, Iceland and other European countries are tightening restrictions on gatherings as cases also rise, fearing the need for a second lockdown.

Israel, meanwhile, was forced to revive a lockdown to stem rising cases there.

China, where the virus originated, is sending 240 million children back to school, NBC’s Today reported. The video detailed how kids undergo temperature checks, hand sanitizing and three tests per day. By law, parents must sign declarations that their children are well. There are no after-school activities and no team sports.

But Chinese leaders have also embraced the arguments of French bartenders who want to keep the country’s economy humming, wrote the Guardian. Those leaders have encouraged citizens to travel during Golden Week, when families traditionally go on vacation, knowing that consumer spending is crucial to the Chinese economy rebounding after lockdowns. Signs that those travelers might have spread the virus have already been reported in the South China Morning Post.

The virus has ravaged Latin America. The extent of the spread in the region might have led to the world’s first case of herd immunity in Manaus, a city in the Brazilian Amazon region, MIT Technology Review explained. Still, as Reuters reported, the virus is far from done. In Mexico, for example, the working class cannot easily social distance if they expect to make a living. As a result, the virus is still claiming lives at an increasing pace.

The world might have reached the end of the beginning of the pandemic, which is at least a step forward.