COVID-19 also known as novel coronavirus has commanded lots of attention. Deservingly so. It is a disease without a cure and is rapidly spreading with the potential of becoming a pandemic. See latest status here.
To put things in perspective, the seasonal flu virus has caused 70,276 deaths worldwide this year as compared to the COVID-19’s 2,457 (as of this writing). The difference being the seasonal flu is a known disease with vaccine and antigen while the COVID-19 is new.
Thirty-three (33) countries and territories have been infected with the COVID-19 to date. What intrigues me is how each country responded to the disease. Foremost is the China’s massive quarantine of its cities and people (over 70 million).
On a smaller scale was the Japanese’s quarantine of the cruise ship Diamond Princess with 3,711 quarantined passengers and crew, of which 621 cases of the virus had been identified, making the ship the site of the most infections outside of China.
Not sure if the quarantines are the right strategy. But given how the flu virus is handled in the US, I doubt we will employ the same approach.
What do you think?
Running with Buddha 