Along came a virus

@wwaycorrigan

The following is perhaps a sign that coronavirus has finally got the better of me, mentally that is (although some will say I've been having issues in my head that predate this pandemic). Covid-19 gets you one way or another, I guess.

Whatever the case, I've tentatively dipped into the world of poetry — if the three short verses penned below can be classed as a poem.

You can decide that. For an audio version of Along came a virus, click here.

Along came a virus

Ignored it could no longer be.
An alluring carefree independence,
Now filled my air with resplendence.
'Mind those ill winds, those pastures new,
That aren't quite so green in hue.'
It mattered nought, counsel I'd not sought.
'Twas all wrought
Before there came a virus.

Of my life, I'll take control.
No more the system's slave, on my terms I shall engage,
This is working for our age.
Suffering, it can't be defeated,
But best to toil alone than to be mistreated.
The time's right, no fool I'll delight.
I had the fight,
Till along came a virus.

Measures now must be obeyed.
Submit ourselves, it won't last long,
Yet as time goes on, hope seems all but gone.
'It's for the best, we'll come out stronger,
We just have to stay in it a bit longer.'
Empty words, follow the herd.
The future spurned
When along came that virus.

Sign of the times.

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A world in disunion

Those idealistic at heart may have thought that in a world connected as never before, the arrival of a common enemy of humankind would unite us as never before.

You know, like in the Independence Day movie when the aliens attack, we rally together, led, of course, by the USA, to smash those pesky extraterrestrials.

The new normal: Maintaining our distance, on a micro and macro level.

The real-life "enemy" we currently face, covid-19, isn't actually a living thing by most definitions but it attacks indiscriminately, albeit it's far more lethal on certain members of society than others.

Nonetheless, the collateral damage it is causing us, pretty much all of which is self-inflicted in a bid to check the virus' spread, is resulting in widespread harm across the globe. So if ever we should work together as a species, it would appear now is the time.

Self-isolating Uncle Sam

What is actually happening, though, is more of a retreat into our tribe.

OK, some of this is down to what are seen as necessary "wartime" measures. The free movement of people will only spread the virus and as the majority of our decision-makers are unwilling to contemplate herd immunity — there are experts who believe it to be the quickest way to defeat our fiend — it was inevitable that old borders would be re-erected, both between countries and inside national territories.

The question is, will we smoothly return to the kind of free movement we had before? If we do, it's sure to take some time. 

'The immediate fallout from this pandemic will be a facemask-wearing population in a more divided world.'

Other current manifestations of this inward retreat were obvious before coronavirus reared its crowned head.

The United States of America, for example, the country that Hollywood has been telling us for decades will lead us to salvation in the event of an existential threat, has been anything but united of late. Its internal divisions appear to have only deepened during this crisis.

What's more, and unsurprisingly considering what President Donald J. Trump has been telling us ever since he announced his attention to run for the White House, it's very much America first. Global leadership isn't a priority.

It is, to state the obvious, the USA's prerogative to pursue this course of action. I, for one, have no qualms in this regard. The problem is, its leaders don't always stick to it.

Chitaly

Then there's the European "Union". The Italians, not for the first time, have decried the lack of solidarity from EU member states. It would seem they have fair grounds for complaint. Of course, in recent years they've been getting quite cosy with the Chinese (we're terming this courting Chitaly), much to the chagrin of Europe's powerhouses France and Germany.

Speaking of the Chinese, from the outside (trying) to look in, it's a case of following the accepted script. Are they deliberately pursuing a divide-and-conquer strategy? Or are we overestimating them?

Regardless, considering this coronavirus emerged from within its territory together with the general mistrust of the information emanating from there, the suspicion with which China and many of its citizens are viewed by some in the West is only going to deepen.

Thus, the immediate fallout from this pandemic looks set to be a facemask-wearing population in a more divided world coupled with greater state control and curtailment of previous "freedoms" we once enjoyed.

Government-controlled utilitarianism one could call it. We'll be told what the greatest good for the greatest number is. Exciting times lie in store.
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Listen to Wrong Way's Colombia Cast here.

Facebook: Wrong Way Corrigan — The Blog & IQuiz "The Bogotá Pub Quiz".

Coronavirus' collateral damage

A sure-fire way to ensure you get the blood up of a large section of readers is to start off a blog post quoting Donald J. Trump.

So here goes. The US president tweeted the other day about coronavirus and the measures being taken to control it that 'We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself.' 

Coronavirus: Things will never be the same again?

Of course, true to form, Trump's discourse since this 'Chinese virus' emerged has read like a dark comedy. He's gone from 'we have it under control' to 'it will be gone by April' to 'the US is in great shape to tackle it' to 'this is a pandemic and I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called one.' 

What ails you?

Nonetheless, he does have a point about the cure potentially becoming worse than the viral infection itself. 

In this regard, we're talking about the cure being self-isolation and strictly imposed countrywide lockdowns, the approach being taken by many states battling covid-19 right now. Basically, it's a degree or two less severe than the Chinese model of tackling "their" virus. 

The idea in the short-term is not to eradicate it completely (although if that did happen, great), it's to, as most are well aware by now, flatten the curve in terms of the rate of infection. In that way, the health systems of the many countries trying to deal with this crisis will be in a better position to cope. 

The nightmare scenario is hundreds of thousands of cases in a short period of time. Hospitals just wouldn't be able to cope with those in a critical condition. 

Of course, as experts readily admit, in countries that were slow to enforce self-isolation and social distancing, the majority of the population is likely to get infected. On the plus side, the majority of that number should make a full recovery. 

So, at this remove, we could end up with the same number of coronavirus-related deaths regardless of the measures taken. Even with the best medical care in optimum conditions, the sick and vulnerable who contract the virus might die. 

'The global death rate in the coming years could be lower due to coronavirus.'

To use an analogy from a history professor from my university days when talking about the demise of Britain's Liberal Party, World War One was the bus that gave it the knockout blow but the postmortem revealed it was in terminal decline in any case, on "borrowed time" so to put it. 

There is the possibility, once we get on top of this, that the global death rate in the coming years could be lower than would be normally expected, as coronavirus ended some people's lives a few years earlier than they would have departed the scene.

Death by association 

Thus, coming back to the "cure" currently being implemented, leaving aside the severe financial heartache and associated problems it will cause for millions of people across the globe, especially in developing countries such as here in Colombia, could it turn out that it ends up being responsible for a good number of deaths in its own right? Or, better put, coronavirus' collateral damage. 

With the panic and chaos being caused by these lockdowns, there's a fair chance that people who get struck down with other life-threatening conditions are either neglected or choose not to seek medical attention due to all the fear that abounds. Of course, this is going to be next to impossible to calculate. 

For the moment, we have to trust that the measures currently in place are the best option. We have no other choice. 

Nonetheless, from a Colombian perspective, if this 19-day lockdown we've entered proves successful in terms of keeping cases down, the hard-pressed masses will look for a prompt easing of restrictions. 

On the other hand, if it doesn't work, if cases skyrocket between now and 13 April, there's a fair chance those same people will ask what's the point? Why all this extra hardship for nothing? 

They might just decide that they have to carry on regardless. 

The next few weeks will tell a tale.   

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Listen to The Colombia Cast podcast here.

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