World leaders are stunned by the magnitude of the debilitating impacts of the contagion in the people’s lives, communities, health, and economy. It has suddenly crippled the world and brought the economy to a standstill. The COVID-19 caught the people, particularly the grassroots off-guard, mainly in the financial aspect. Sadly, the working class, who live hand-to-mouth, bears the brunt of the aftermaths of the scourge. Likewise, COVID-19 has created substantial social change, and barriers never been experienced before in people’s lives. Nonsectarian people have even resorted to being prayerful again.
As a result of the chronic condition, the world economy plunged to its unendurable level and will likely plummet to its deepest slump since the Great Depression in 1930s. Oil prices have slumped. Local businesses broke off amid the enhanced community quarantine to stem the spread of the contagious contagion. Some government agencies and private institutions temporarily have suspended their works and promoted work from home. Public transportation and major superhighways have been cut. Likewise, trikes have been banned from operating in strict observance of the ordinance of the inter-agency task force and the president’s orders. And, domestic travel restrictions, through the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine, have been rigorously enforced.
Seemingly, shoppers in supermarkets and drugstores strictly observe social distancing. At the same time, the government rigorously regulates and monitors the prices of commodities and essential goods.
The government authorities have continued to dissuade its citizens from staying outdoors in deference to Proclamation No. 922 and Proclamation No. 929 s.2020. From all reports, some residents remain uncooperative, errant, and defiant in opposition to the directives of the authorities.
The novel coronavirus reportedly originated in Wuhan City in Hubei Province in China and has since spread through different territories, countries, and continents across the globe.
The similarities between SARS in 2003 and COVID-19 in the present time are both came from the coronavirus family and originated in wet markets.
Before it became pandemic, the COVID-19 allegedly originated first in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market and gradually disseminated within the locality of Wuhan City in Hubei Province.
This new coronavirus is the worst pandemic ever thumped the world after the 1918 Spanish flu, which killed over 50 million people—including 675,000 Americans—worldwide. COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 targeted mostly elderly and persons with underlying health conditions compared to the 1918 Influenza, which infected chiefly 25 years below.
The coronavirus has at least an incubation period of 14 days, unlike the deadly 1918 Flu, which had only less than 24 hours.
As of press time, after lagging behind China with the highest mortality rate, Italy now has become the epicenter of the disease after surpassing China’s worst death toll and after exceeding half of the world’s total number infected by the prevailing malady.
Other countries that have the worst case of COVID-19 include the United States, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, among others, while China claimed that coronavirus case in the region has hitherto declined for the past two days.
On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic.
Afterward, the WHO Chief dubbed the new coronavirus (COVID-19) an “enemy against humanity” as the pandemic soared past 200,000 and already claimed 8,000 lives.
Similarly, the WHO chief alerted everybody to be prepared and asked everyone not to be assumptive as if they would not be infected. He likewise urged everybody to introduce physical distancing measures and instructed countries to conduct “isolation, testing, treatment and tracing contacts” to suppress and control the pandemic.
Notwithstanding the widespread infection and objection of some leaders, Japan remains optimistic in holding Tokyo Olympics in July of this year. Japan has reported 900 infected patients—not to mention those people, comprised of 712 individuals, in Diamond Princess cruise ship. The cruise ship has reported 43 deaths alone due to the pandemic virus.
On the other hand, experts in China, Japan, and the United States are already formulating vaccines to curb the alarming impacts of the terrible fallout of COVID-19 in the 21st century.
It’s hard to digest that we have experienced a pandemic disease in our lifetime.
Let’s all hope and pray that the world overcomes and contains COVID-19 the soonest possible time.
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