In early 2020, the world economy experienced the ultimate sucker punch from the coronavirus. Like any sucker punched, it was unexpected and was shockingly painful. The emergence of COVID-19 propelled us into a new era – the global pandemic age. What does that mean?
Unfortunately, it means that many of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic may be permanent. In other words, there is no turning back to what was normal just a while ago. So, how did we get here and what should we do now?
Sucker Punched By The Coronavirus
It is startling to see some leaders in government and health officials behave like the coronavirus pandemic was not predictable. In his groundbreaking 2011 book, super immunity Dr. Joel Fuhrman points out that the rate at which infectious diseases spread had increased dramatically. A 2007 World Health Organization report confirmed that fact. At that time, we had already seen the West Nile outbreak, the SARS outbreak, and the Avian Flu outbreak.
In each case, the infectious disease was spread faster than before. Sadly, progressive thinkers including billionaire Bill Gates predicted the coronavirus pandemic with frightening accuracy. In spite, of these warnings, the world leaders and governments were sucker-punched by the coronavirus. So, what now? The obvious lesson in his story is we must be prepared for the possibility of even more severe or more deadly outbreaks in the future.
Recognize The Limitations of Government
One thing is for certain, we absolutely cannot wait around for governments to solve this problem alone. Governments are generally effective in providing national defense and security, various levels of law enforcement, and many administrative tasks. When it comes to tackling significant social challenges or public health, some governments fall short. In all fairness, we should recognize that governments are made up of people with different political views and conflicting agendas. These conflicts often get in the way of governments behaving in practical and efficient ways. In the United States, we see this every year during the national budgeting process that sometimes leads to complete government shutdowns.
Grassroots Actions
This means, as citizens, we must take the lead in this high-stakes situation. We are responsible for moving ourselves, our families, our communities, our municipalities, our states, and our nation towards a rational pandemic recovery and future security plan.
Although we’ve been told that sheltering in place, washing our hands, and maintaining social distance are the keys to containing coronavirus pandemic; what about the next steps to restoring our families and communities back to normal? What changes are needed in the healthcare system? Moreover, how do we reboot the economy at every level?
The Bottomline
Although the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic caught most of us off guard and delivered a devasting blow, we are still standing. Not only are we standing; we are in a position to use this setback as motivation to improve and strengthen our world on many levels.
What Do You?
Should America have been better prepared for the Coronavirus Pandemic? If so, what should have been done differently?
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