The Covid-19 Pandemic: Is The Whole World Shutting Down?
We can all agree that this thing called Covid-19 is getting out of control really fast. Too fast for a lot of countries to carry out all the necessary precautions in place to reduce the deaths and speed of infection. Covid-19 statistics worldwide are alarming.
About 4,200 people have died from coronavirus or Covid-19 and thousands more are infected with the virus. Countries like Italy have recorded about eight hundred deaths and as a result, have begun to shut down the economy to prevent more deaths.
The coronavirus was declared a pandemic this week by the WHO. It is now officially global and out of control. The coronavirus is said to affect people with weak immune systems more often, especially children and the elderly.
In a lot of countries where healthcare is expensive, testing for infection is also expensive and people who do not have money for the tests are allowed to roam free and infect others.
People have been advised to stay indoors as often as they can and avoid crowded places (which is virtually everywhere). The number of places where people are to avoid is increasing sporadically. We can now look into the future and safely say that a global economic shut down is underway and these sectors have already been affected by it.
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- Education
Since children are at great danger of being infected with Covid-19, it is only wise that nations close schools to avoid the spread of the virus.
In Italy, schools and universities have been closed down and kids sent home to their parents so they can be better taken care of.
The downside of this is that the parents are at loss on how to entertain these kids. They also have to worry about babysitting because they have to go to work and in some places, children are kept in groups and looked after by volunteers.
The question now is, what’s the point of taking the children off school if they’re still going to mix with another outside school?
Let’s not forget that these people also have their elderly to worry about. Imagine worrying about your kids and also having to worry about grandma and grandpa.
Shutting down of schools by respective governments is a wise and proactive thing to do and is saving lives as we speak. We, however, suggest that the government put in measures to help the parents and the kids and provide ways for them to learn outside the classroom.
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- Tourism
With nations shutting off flights to and from certain countries, the economy of these states has lost a lot of revenue that they could have gotten from tourism had the Covid-19 virus never paid us a visit.
People no longer want to go and see pretty sites. People now fear going to the gym. Traveling out of the country seems extreme in comparison.
Hotels and lodges are taking a big hit as most of their rooms are empty of tourists and even the locals who fear being is such “public” environment.
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- Politics
No one wants to vote in a Covid-19 environment. No one wants to be standing in a crowd when Coronavirus is just lurking at the corner. Everyone wants to stay at home and stay healthy and live.
Voting begins in Ohio very soon and voters have been advised to vote by mail or vote early before it becomes crowded. Meanwhile, the environment and the polling machines are being sanitized.
Americans, on the other hand are displeased with their administration’s reaction to the pandemic and are taking actions to take care of themselves.
This displeasure does not bode well for the Trump administration. Donald Trump is contesting for another four years of presidency and I must say he was doing quite well until Covid-19 came around.
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- Sports
The basketball world which was still recovering from their grief over Kobe’s death, was hit with a fresh wave of bad luck when Coronavirus came around.
Now all NBA games have been shifted for fear of packing people into a tight space and causing mass infection. Their policy states that they are taking a thirty-day break from everything.
Players have been advised to do personal workouts with personal coaches as no training or team workouts will hold. Other leagues such as NHL (National Hockey League) and NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) have paused their seasons too.
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- Health
At this point in time, the health sector of affected countries is currently in shaky conditions. Things as simple as face masks and hand sanitizers have become gold.
In countries with expensive health care, people have been unable to get tested for the virus because they simply cannot afford it. So infected people go about their daily business, to work, school, etcetera.
It is anticipated that if more people, particularly the elderly fall sick, the health care systems of some particular countries will crash and everyone will be left moping at its remains.
Like I said before, Covid-19 took the world by surprise. Despite all the bragging that we were ready for the coronavirus, recent happenings have shown how unprepared we really are.
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- The Economy
The stock market is suffering and countries are losing a lot of revenue due to cancellation of flights or flight restrictions and a decline in tourists.
Covid-19 is showing us a teensy bit of what will happen if the world falls into crisis. Right now, businesses are shutting down. Schools, universities and other public places are shutting down to prevent further spread of the virus.
It is just like in one of those Sci-fi books we read. A virus emerges and people begin to die and hide in their homes until the town becomes deserted and those who survive become Zombies.
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Conclusion
It is true that there is a lot of false news circulating around just to scare us. It is also wrong to believe that this Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic is just a rumor. Thousands of people have died and thousands are being infected by the virus as we speak.
Adequate precautions followed to the letter can help prevent the spread of the virus. Governments should gear up and prepare for emergencies to come. As the death toll rises, people need to see that things are being done to contain the disease.
NGO’s and well-meaning individuals all over the world can always help in cases where the government is not so reliable. There is no harm in running away from a sneezing and coughing person. It is not bravery when you die from Coronavirus.
Take good care of your children, keep an eye on them so you know when you see signs of the disease. If you’re noticing that you might be infected, self isolate until you’re sure. You might just save a couple of lives.
Take a bold step today. In this fight against Covid-19, we may be a bit handicapped but we all are heroes fighting for what we believe in and for our loved ones.
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