Posted: 3/13/2020 Updated: 3/14/2020 Revised: 3/18/2020
The coronavirus pandemic is nothing compared with e.g. the bubonic plague (Black Death) of the medieval ages that killed an estimated 70-200 million people in Eurasia. “In crowded cities, it was not uncommon for as much as 50% of the population to die.” (S2)
So much irrationality and defiance of reason in the 20th year of the 21st century is truly shocking! As if medieval superstition is still the dominant force today! So many major and minor events were cancelled or postponed! So many schools were closed! And the list goes on and on. Stockpiling and hoarding became the norm. Tourism worldwide dwindled ...
This incredible panic and hysteria tremendously fueled by the media and politicians has hyper increased the peoples suspicion that perhaps this pandemic is much worse than officially presented!
This influenza season of 2019-20 e.g. in the U.S. alone is shaping up as one of the worst in the last 10 years or so!
“CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 36 million flu illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths from flu.” (S1) Is anybody panicking about these numbers? The coronavirus pales compared to that! As of 3/13/2020 according to the WHO there were a total of 132,758 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,955 deaths worldwide in 122 countries/territories! (S3)
To inflict such tremendous damage on the global economy (perhaps triggering a very severe, deep, and prolonged global recession/depression) out of this panic and hysteria will be studied in textbooks for the next several decades or so. We have not yet seen the full impact on the economies of the world, but I have a sense it will be very severe and how fast the economies will rebound remains to be seen.
Perhaps a few positive developments coming out of this panic and hysteria, which may well last beyond this panic and hysteria:
- Telecommuting and working from home will become more acceptable and implemented with all its accompanying benefits
- Online education and homeschooling will more substantially compete with traditional classroom based education
This panic and hysteria has become an enormous almost unstoppable self feeding, reinforcing negative feedback loop and vicious cycle! Where are the voices of reason when you need them!
Sources (S):
- CDC Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (Week 10, 3/10/2020)
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