Now and then, a single minuscule occurrence in this vast universe comes out to burst our bubble of self-importance. It seems that this one time, this tiny occurrence showed up in the shape of a tiny virus that has tiny crowns!
The Novel Covid-19
Yes!
You heard that right, and we are talking about the novel Corona Virus. The Corona Virus is said to have originated in the vet markets of Wuhan, China. While many are claiming that the virus started from an instance of the consumption of bat soup, there is little to no evidence to support that fact.
The Virus is characterized by severe respiratory issues. The common symptoms include fever, dry cough, and difficulty breathing. Headaches, muscle pains, and diarrhea may also show up as possible symptoms. Although these symptoms seem moderate, the virus could also progress to take up the form of severe pneumonia and organ failure!
Like many other viruses, the Covid-19 (so-called because it was a type of coronavirus that started in 2019), the virus is transmitted as droplets that can enter your respiratory system. If not that, you could infect yourself by touching a contaminated space and then touching your face.
The picture is clearly terrifying!
However, the virus has a meager fatality rate (0.2%), and the number of cases that reach a critical stage is meager. But given the sheer magnitude of the virus at this point in time means that the minimum 5% still means a huge number of people.
Moreover, another essential piece of information is that Covid-19 presents the greatest threat to those that are a lot older or those that are still very young. The reason being that the immune systems of these age groups are the weakest. But those that are still young may pose as carriers rather than having any significant risks of fatality.
The Costs of Corona Virus:
While such viruses have come and gone throughout history, the fact of the matter is that humans have, sooner or later, come to find cures. Once this cure becomes available, the virus can be controlled and does not pose any severe threats.
However, the moment in history that we currently stand at is one where no cure for the Covid-19 is available now. For that very reason, the virus goes unchecked and has posed a massive issue to how the world functions. After all, the virus has taken 272042 lives at present and shows no sign of slowing down except for in China.
The Unseen Catastrophe
The tragic loss of these lives is a huge cost to bear for the world.
But sadly, that is not the only cost.
The nature of the virus is such that it has spread across borders at a rapid pace.
As a result, the virus has resulted in activities being suspended throughout the world, with even entire countries wholly locked down to stop the spread of the disease. This, of course, has several costs associated with it and affects the human population in the most negative way possible.
At present, we can point to the industries being affected. These include:
Travel and Tourism
The first thing that any government focuses on in an outbreak of a pandemic like the Covid-19 is to contain the spread. That is why cities are locked down, and quarantines established, and that is why concepts of “social distancing” are propagated.
A direct implication of such an approach is that people are restricted in their geographical mobility. You see, what we are hinting right?
Travel, under such circumstances, is limited to ensure that carriers of the disease do not leave the affected spaces to spread the virus further. Even as far back as 2017, the travel industry contributed the amount as much as the UK’s GDP to the global economy.
With current restrictions on travel and widespread paranoia, organizations are continually coming up with campaigns that promote how clean and careful airlines are. But to no avail. According to some estimates, it could take more than a year for the travel and tourism industry to recover after the virus is over.
Food
The first thing that anyone would avoid in case of an outbreak of disease is food!
Especially when you know that the Corona Virus spreads because the virus enters through your nose and mouth, I would would suggest using caution when consuming any food that you did not make yourself.
But it is not just that.
Given how rapid the Corona Virus spreads and how important it is to maintain distances, the foodservice industry has been forced to close down in some countries while in others restaurants are limited to takeout or drive thrus. Restaurants can simply not be allowed to let people come in and sit together. The chance that a single carrier could spread the virus to several people around him/her is horrific.
As a result, the food industry has seen a significant fall in occupancy rates and profits all around.
Education
Awareness and education, everyone thought it would be the one thing that could save the world from all such future occurrences.
However, the condition stays that there even remains a future!
That is why to ensure social distancing, most colleges and schools in affected countries across the world were shut down. Students were sent home to be homeschooled through distance learning or in some countries there has been no check on their progress or any ideas about the compensations for the hefty fee or the invaluable learning.
Healthcare Coverage
The one thing that is a given is that the healthcare coverage industry with players like the UShealth group and several others will come into play. These are the apparent heroes of the time, providing help in times of crisis and support to your loved ones.
With not only enough costs and human capital invested, but these organizations are also leading the fight and protecting people from the after-effects of this pandemic.
Final Word
In such tiring times, where powerful states are being brought down to their knees, with economies shutting down and lives coming to a standstill, we need to practice caution!
This global pandemic has also made one thing very clear:
In times of crisis, there is no one safe. The only way to win is to deal with all these issues by being ONE.
Contributed by Ashley Rosa
