Worrying times are upon us all as we batten down the hatches and self-isolate to prevent catching this worldwide virus that, for most, didn't seem troubling when news first broke.
Images of Wuhan, China, where the virus originated, were spread across the internet and global news channels. It, for most, was their problem and not ours ~ that, however, has changed drastically over the past few weeks/months as the virus has spread globally and the media have ramped up stories that sell - namely death.
As I write this, there are a confirmed 277,169 worldwide cases, 11,431 of those have resulted in fatalities. The current estimated population of the world is 7.7 billion.
The figures above will definitely rise and, more importantly, we will eventually see a decline just as they are in Wuhan. For the third day running Wuhan are reporting no new cases. South Korea has also seen a sharp drop in new cases, whilst in Hokkaido, Japan’s second-largest island and which has the most number of cases of COVID-19, finally lifted its State of Emergency yesterday.
Britan and the US are weeks behind these countries in terms of the actual slowing down of the spread. Some may argue that we've been slow out of the blocks to curb the spread and because of this we may face more cases per head then the above-mentioned countries.
Panama, where I live most of the year, has reported just one death out of 198 cases, 7 of which are in critical condition. Panama has a population of just under 4 million. The Panamanian authorities acted swiftly after the one death that has occurred. They closed down all the schools and banned flights from Europe and have now imposed a curfew on residents, also a total booze ban, including bars and supermarkets. The booze ban is a good idea because this prevents people from gathering at one another's houses to 'party'.
Panama has acted quickly.
Unfortunately, for me at least, I fear it may be quite a while before I am allowed entry into this beautiful country and even more beautiful populace. My long-time partner remains there and it's heartbreaking for both of us as we now contemplate spending an infinite amount of time apart. (I came back to the UK in February)
It's important that we all keep our eyes on the latest updates. It's important that we adhere to what the governments and medical experts are recommending.
On the flip-side of the coin, it's important that we don't over-obsess about what the media and social media are telling us ~ much of it is recycled news of doom and gloom and this puts fear into most of us. Be cautious but don't be fearful. Fear spreads quicker than any virus and examples of this can be seen by supermarket shelves being stripped of their goods almost as soon as they are filled.
If one good has come out of this pandemic it's been an eye-opener of how we, as humans, behave when the chips are down. We seem to lose the power to empathise and our own survival instinct becomes more important than anyone else. We are in this together, folks, we will beat this. Remain human. Remain humane.
For Krissy
"I find I’m so excited, I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I hope." ~ Red, Shawshank Redemption
Bob Fiddaman
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