The Tribune

ActivTrades Weekly

By RICARDO EVANGELISTA

www.activtrades.bs

According to data published by the World Health Organisation, there is a virus going around causing an illness that this year will be responsible for the death of more than six hundred thousand people around the globe. I am of course talking about the flu, a disease that alongside malaria, itself responsible for almost half a million annual fatalities, has over the last decades been seen as the greatest killers amongst infectious diseases. Now there is a new kid on the block; COVID-19 makes the 2 big human nemesis we just talked about pale in comparison, having in less than 12 months infected 39 million humans and killed over a million.

The numbers are staggering and paint a clear picture, the coronavirus represents a tremendous threat and must be treated as such. Contrary to what some say, this disease is more deadly and contagious than the flu, presenting what is perhaps the biggest challenge faced by humanity since the end of world war II. Big hopes rest in several vaccines currently being developed, as well as in effective therapies, but until these become available the danger is serious, not just in terms of public health, but also to the global economy, with very few countries escaping its impact.

Due to the seriousness of the disease, governments all around the world tried to stop the spreading of the virus and the overwhelming of medical resources by imposing restrictions to social and economic activities, which in its most extreme form resulted in complete lockdowns. In its stricter form these lockdowns brought entire nations to an almost standstill, closing borders and only allowing essential activities to be carried out, with the majority of the population confined at home.

It’s hardly surprising that such measures proved to be divisive amongst the general population, with some agreeing and accepting it was for the greater good, while others, often due to economic hardship, resisting and criticising. This polarisation is becoming particularly visible in politics, with the issue being ‘weaponised’ and used as leverage by politicians from across the spectrum, contributing to an increase in the partisanship that has characterised the global political landscape over the last few years. This division is not helpful.

Meanwhile, as the Bahamas prepares to reopen for business a second wave of the pandemic is already hitting several countries, with Europe at the forefront. Several governments in the old continent reimposed restrictions on social gatherings and after-hours curfews, as well as ordering the closing down of bars and restaurants. It appears to be just a matter of time before complete lockdowns are imposed in some countries.

Until an effective vaccine is available, only the ethical behaviour of a significant majority of the population will make it possible to avoid cyclical lockdowns and the hardships they cause. Common ground must be found, and disinformation stopped. Only through a shared effort of respect for basic rules such as mask-wearing and social distancing will it be possible to keep infections under control without the need to re-enact the draconian measures that caused so much social and economic damage.