Although it has been less than a month since Coronavirus aka Covid19 spread and has gradually isolated China, the world's second actually first super power, the virus has been on its own world tour (this is not a laughing matter) effecting some 52 countries on six continents. Antaractica has no known cases as of yet. The number of infected in mainland China has dropped somewhat but the ongoing quarantine in Wuhan, Shanghai and parts of Hong Kong and South Korean city of Daegu, a city of 2 million has raised the fear and blood pressure of travelers, ordinary people, students, government officials both national and provincial around the world. Italy, United States, Canary Islands (Spanish occupied territory off the coast of North Africa, West of Morocco) Iran, Iraq, Israel (no world on Palestine), Kuwait, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Brazil, Germany to name a few countries have all reported cases of new Coronavirus cases and infected. While the pundits, media outlets and government officials are not calling the Coronavirus a global pandemic to avoid scaring their citizens,but...Corona looks an awful lot like a pandemic. So for now it is officially a epidemic. Appreciate the read below. The WHO keeps hinting at the "high risk" Corona is causing to both public health and society.
Economic Freefall and more travel bans
The Coronavirus has also panicked investors and financial markets who do not like suddan shocks to its own system. The S&P fell by 500 points. The Dow Jones fell 3,000 points or 11.8% in less than week. Monday started off at $29, 555 and ended today Thursday February 27th at 25,000. It's the largest drop since 2008 Financial Crisis. The virus is indirectly causing a likely global recession with major economic powers among them China and Brazil making up the BRICS, Japan, South Korea, Italy (part of the EU), ASEAN countries facing quarantines, suspension of daily trade and production in financial cities and regional economic hubs. A financial crash isn't far off given the virus' lashing of major financial markets ie Nikkei, Canada's Toronto Stock Exchange which opened weaker, tock market. Even the number of international trade shows where Chinese businesses have been suspended from attending has been reduced. The major fiancial markets are currently in the red as the reports of new viral cases spread. The virus has also exposed just how important the Chinese economy and it serving as the manufacturing capital of the world are to many countries. Now countries will be scrambling not only to possibly replaced Made in China products but also reconsider moving majority of the production from China back to the respective countries. The US Commerce security Wilbur Ross quite inconsiderately commented that "the virus will benefit US manufacturing." Travel bans have been extended to South Korea and Italy by the US State Department, Kuwaiti government including suspended flights. In Hong Kong, Cathway Pacific Airways has seen passenger flights dwindled from 200 flights around the world to just 39 to Mainland China and another 14 between Taiwan and Hon Kong.
Japan: Stopping the Olympics?
Meanwhile Japan is seeing less and less tourists even the expected Olympic visitors are becoming weary of traveling to Tokyo for Olympic Games in July. The International Olympic Committee has now given Tokyo a three months ultimitium to possibly cancel the upcoming 2020 Olympics if the Coronavirus stays at its current levels. The IOC hasn't said if it'll find a replacement country or there will be no Olympics at all this year. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has ordered schools across the island nation to be closed, while ordinary Japanese have been wearing protective gear and avoiding crowds and contact.Borders closures
Borders have been sealed by the Mongolian government and Central Asian officials against China while Austrian government for Italy, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Afghanistan governments have all closed their borders and suspended flights from Iran. Western Europe has been hit hard by the pandemic as self quarantines, canceled sporting events and advisories to keep away from large crowds have gone out across radio, tv and online. US students are also canceling their study abroad programs to countries with known Coronavirus outbreaks and hoping to reroute them to virus free countries. Many other universities are following suit in suspending study abroad programs in South Korea, China, Italy and Japan. Thousands of Italians have been quarantined indoors in Northern Italian regions of Lombardy and parts of Venato where some 100 people have been infected in Venice (yes the Venice Carnival has also been canceled). The epicentre of Italy's Coronavirus outbreak is the small town of Codogno home to 15,000people in Lombardy which has pushed its residents indoors, quarantined and barricaded since the virus was first reported there on Feb 21st. Codogno is East of the famed university and tourist city of Bologna. The Italian Health minister announced that Italy is preparing itself for an epidemic if the rate of infection doesn't slow. Italy like Japan is trying to keep its citizens calm. A US soldier stationed in Camp Carroll near Daegu, South Korea has tested positive for the Covid19 virus despite being tested for symptoms. Camp Caroll is one of many military bases in SK and across Asia part of the US' large Pacific Fleet.
Iran: Even government officials are not spared
After Italy, Iran has the second largest confirmed cases of Coronavirus at 730 suspected cases with eight deaths. Media pundits are suggesting that Iran like China is also not reporting the real number of infected or dead. The natural Saudi news channel Al Arabiya reports that some 50 people have died in Qom from Corona. Iranian Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi was noted by the media as looking visibly ill while attending a press conference on originally to assure the Iranian public that there was nothing to panic over with the Coronavirus. A day later Minister Harirchi posted an update video in which he announced that his illness wasn't a small bout, he does have Coronavirus. In addition to Harirchi, another 7 Iranian government officials including the Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar could have the virus too. In Iran's holiest city of Qom, home to 1.2 million residents, are facing a city wide quaratine as the government studies ways to halt the spread of the virus. Of course, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe two leftover propaganda mouthpieces from the Cold War era "Democracy for everyone no matter what", blames the Iranian government for the virus' intial spread in Qom despite medical teams disinfecting public transit system in Tehran and other public places, setting up quarantines Qom and limiting public gatherings. The virus arrived in Iran during the parlimentary elections on Feb 21st. Keep in mind that for all the noise the United States, Europe and Israel makes about Iran being an oppressive government towards its own people, Iran is one of the few countries in the Middle East aside from Turkey and Syria that holds parlimentary and Presidential elections that are than condemned by the U.S. and Europe for being shams even when millions of Iranians come out to vote and it is viewed as transparent. Also, Iran joins the long list of countries who have had female leaders far ahead of the United States who hasn't had neither a female president or Vice President. Vice President Masoumeh Etbekar is also the advisor to President Rouhani and heads Women and Children's Affairs. What the media sees of Iran is far different than the reality. Covid19 outbreak in Iran is also hampered by the ongoing US sanctions against Iran. As been said, sanctions hurt ordinary people more than the government officials. Iran will soon be in needed of medication, protective gear and future vacines to fight back against COvid19.United States: Everyone is scared but don't call it a pandemic
The 400+ Americans who were evacuated from the Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Japan have since been allowed to return to their respective homes after spending a month and a half in quarantine on board the ship and than extra few weeks at military bases in Texas and California. CDC officials have already warned that Covid19 outbreak can occur in the United States its just a matter of when. Despite the CDC's warning not to bring the sick American cruisers back home, the United States is now dealing with the first non China or Europe confirmed case of Coronavirus. The female patient is currently being hospitalized and quarantined in Davis, a small town outside Sacramento, capital city of State of California. Her identity and previous travels haven't been release is the first person to contact Covid19 or Corona without traveling to the hotzone or traveling outside the United States. The national and local governments are calling it a "community spread" which doesn't explain much. What is known is that the patient went into a hospital near the Travis Air Force base where hundreds of evacuees were Quarantined and treated for Covid19 virus. Travis Airbase is near Sacramento not Southern California. It could be that the patient contracted the virus from an evacuee in passing but it isn't certain just yet. This has sent the rest of the country into medium to full panic. Please, remember that the U.S. like other countries doesn't response well to viral outbreaks and American medical system is already overwhelemed with people both adults and children becoming sick from changing winter to spring weather not to mention the late winter flu. The man child President Donald Trump as usual downplayed Coronavirus threat by heaping accolades of Americna preparedness in an emergency and bemoaning the virus' effect on the declining US stock market and Wall Street. He made Vice President
Corona, 1918 Flu's modern day cousin?
As history often repeats itself, th last major global pandemic that caused mass quarantines, deaths, economic squeeze was the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1920 known colloquially as the Spanish Flu. Keep in mind that the Spanish flu didn't originate in Spain and it affected the United States more than any other country. The flu killed 10 million people on all continents and came at the end of the First World War I, after some tens of millions of deaths suffered by Europe. Despite the slower modes of transportation a century ago, the flu still spread rapidally by various hosts with non existent vaccine to halt the spread. Although 500 million people were infected and some 40 million people died, the flu has some parallels with today's Coronavirus. Covid19 is not slowing down and its magnitude will be felt in the near future. This is a story in progress.
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