The worst outbreak of a global disease in a century, the pandemic is named after the zoonotic coronavirus that caused the influenza-like disease that broke out in the early months of 2020. The infection first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhun, which quickly went under lockdown for seven weeks during which some 5000 persons died. Despite early warnings, Western countries were slow to respond to efforts to curb its spread. Donald Trump, the president of the USA racistly called it "the Chinese virus" and eventually—to deflect blame for his disastrous leadership (or lack of it)—he accused the UN WHO for siding with China and withdrew the US's financial resposibility to the organization. The West's failure to act quickly enough cost them the most dearly. The UK suffered ### inflections (including its PM Boris Johnson) and ### deaths, while USA took more than a quarter million infections of which more than 40 thousands died.
As of this writing, the consequences remains uncertain. A third of humanity are under enforced lockdown or restricted movement, trade has slowed almost to a standstill, and even guns and rockets in war-zones around the world has noticeably quieten. Whatever the future holds, it will be different from anything the human race has ever faced before.
©ALBERITH
250420lch