A million infections

The coronavirus pandemic has been escalating exponentially and is now considered as the world’s worst crisis since World War II. The number of confirmed infections as now approached the grim milestone of one million, while Europe alone has reported over 30,000 deaths.

Half the planet is under some form of lockdown and those restrictions, while necessary to contain the spread of the virus, have caused food shortages, unemployment and other far-reaching effects. There was chaos and mass exodus when India made the abrupt decision to impose a lockdown on one billion people. The global death toll has marked upwards and more than 46,000 people have died, including a six-week-old baby in the US, who is known to be the youngest victim of the disease.

The United States’ worst fears are real as it has become the new epicentre of the pandemic and now accounts for almost a quarter of reported global infections. More than three-quarters of Americans are under lockdown and could be at home for several months. President Trump, who was hoping to reopen the country by Easter, has now stepped back as the US has become the worst-hit nation in the world.

New York is among the worst-affected and thousands of temporary hospitals have been set up in the global city. Many states have imposed strict lockdown while others have banned visitors from other areas, even forcing them into mandatory quarantine to prevent them from coming. The coronavirus is now known to infect people from all walks of life, including young people, and research suggests it can adapt to local conditions and develop genetic mutations.

The situation in China – where the virus originated – has gradually improved but the figures coming out have created controversy. These have been accusations that the Chinese government has downplayed the number of cases to project a good image. There are fears of a second wave of infections in China, showing the risk of the strategy which included strict lockdown to contain the disease.

Global stock markets have collapsed as governments announced massive stimulus packages, while the IMF has already announced a global recession. Sports are in disarray after the Tokyo Olympics were delayed until next year. This is nothing in comparison to whole communities being threatened by the pandemic. It is unclear when the situation might settle and is a long way, and until then we will continue to make painful choices.