A world in flux
On January 1, 2020, the ‘Wuhan virus’outbreak had been confirmed. Scientists warned of a looming epidemic. But not many paid attention.
January 1, 2020. By the time the crystal ball dropped in Times Square, New York, the outbreak had been confirmed. The WHO had swung into action setting up an Incident Management Support Team (IMST) to take urgent measures to deal with the disease.
In the following days, scientists in Europe warned of a looming epidemic. But not many paid attention. Earlier, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), both caused by coronaviruses, had threatened to become epidemics only to vanish over a few months. The new SARS-like disease was expected to follow a similar route.
The world had little time for distractions. The economy was under strain. Job losses and low oil prices were worrying. The prospect of a full-blown trade war between the United States and China threatened more pain for businesses.
Wars in Syria, Yemen and Libya pushed more people into misery, and protests roiled Iraq, Lebanon and Sudan. Britain and Boris Johnson kept up the haggling with Europe over Brexit modalities. And Donald Trump churned the United States with his tweets in ALL CAPS.
In the rest of the world, life whirred away at a frenetic pace. Consumerism never saw better days with people spending beyond their means. Shopping thrived, and eating out became more fashionable than ever before.
The popularity of junk food paved the way for the rise in obesity, a disorder that is at the root of many illnesses today.
Air travel and tourism boomed. The middle class lived out their dreams, emptying their wallets to vacation in exotic places. Climate change and carbon footprint, they didn’t matter.
Little did they know the world is about to see a million plus deaths and the life they have all known so far is soon going to change forever.