Fear of COVID-19 suspends global protests

If we thought that the trade war between the United States and China would be the worst thing that could happen in the small great global village as a recent event, the coronavirus has shown that unpredictability continues to exceed all expectations of human beings. With COVID-19 spreading to several countries around the world, time is running out to find a vaccine, and the laboratory that develops it will have a valuable patent, not only in terms of human lives, but also in terms of business.

Sometimes, I have the impression that the certainty of my life and health depends, more than on myself, on the pharmaceutical companies that, in the midst of the current global health crisis and also economic slowdown, continue to count the tills. In the midst of the storm there is always someone who wins... it is those who produce, manufacture, market and sell and resell the masks and mouthpieces. Several doctors and health authorities are asking people not to run out of stock because a mask is necessary for medical personnel in a health centre or for a patient who is sick with flu or cough, but its effectiveness is minimal for a healthy person; who, in fact, is at greater risk of becoming infected with COVID-19, because he is constantly putting his hands to his mouth and face to fit the mask.

February is gone and we begin March with the dismal situation of the new pathogen that continues to surprise scientists because it leaves new evidence every day. Here, in Spain, this Sunday there were 83 cases of coronavirus infection. Hospitals are treating affected patients with a series of drugs combined with the antiviral drugs lopinavir and ritonavir plus interferon beta used for the treatment of HIV and it seems to be working; at least in the Iberian country.

It is also urgent to stop the fear and panic unleashed by the uncertainty of being infected and, unfortunately, the economy is suffering. China, which is one of the two great global economic engines, could report -for the first time in many years- a negative first quarter, which, if confirmed, would be very bad news.

The stock markets are well aware of this and have been acting nervously for days, with events, annual meetings and conferences falling apart. In recent days, several cancellations have been announced: Switzerland suspended its major annual meeting with the International Motor Show in Geneva; in Berlin, they decided to halt the International Tourism Fair (ITB), leaving thousands of organizers - from more than 155 countries - with their stands, airplane and hotel reservations paid for. 

In France, the government of President Emmanuel Macron, asked to restrict all agglomerations in public spaces, as well as in events that concentrate more than five thousand people; and in countries like Italy with an important focus of contagion (until this Sunday there were close to 1600 infected with more than thirty deaths), the government is studying the suspension of football matches or to hold them behind closed doors.

For a little more than 12 months we have had several outbreaks - not of viral infection - but of social protests in a lot of countries around the world, many with violent and incendiary demonstrations. In France, with the yellow vest movement, but also in Barcelona because of the trial of the politicians who participated in the illegal independence referendum; and in Chile, in Colombia, in Bolivia, in Venezuela, in Ecuador, in Iran, in Iraq, in Egypt, in Syria, in Turkey... and, please, let us not forget Hong Kong, which has had China in check.

However, this sudden health alert, which the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling a potential pandemic, has turned everything upside down and has people more concerned with how to avoid getting infected than with staying on the streets in mass protest. 

Let's say that it has been "timely" to calm the social waters in many countries of the globe and have us all on edge with the number of countries that are becoming infected, with the discoveries that scientists make about this new invisible enemy and how many deaths are adding very unfortunately ... Come on, we are totally swamped by the issue of Covid-19.
 
Personally, my greatest fear is that we will all end up in another world recession. In Tokyo, they are considering suspending the Olympic Games and the economic damage is calculated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars in companies, hotels, micro and small businesses linked to the hotel industry and tourism. Not only do people not want to go out and protest; they don't want to travel either.