An actual good, introspective, non-political story by the NY Times
The COVID-19 Riddle: Why Does the Virus Wallop Some Places and Spare Others?
The coronavirus has killed so many people in Iran that the country has resorted to mass burials, but in neighboring Iraq, the body count is fewer than 100.
The Dominican Republic has reported nearly 7,600 cases of the virus. Just across the border, Haiti has recorded about 85.
In Indonesia, thousands are believed to have died of the coronavirus. In nearby Malaysia, a strict lockdown has kept fatalities to about 100.
The coronavirus has touched almost every country on earth, but its impact has seemed capricious. Global metropolises like New York, Paris and London have been devastated, while teeming cities like Bangkok, Baghdad, New Delhi and Lagos have, so far, largely been spared.
The question of why the virus has overwhelmed some places and left others relatively untouched is a puzzle that has spawned numerous theories and speculations but no definitive answers. That knowledge could have profound implications for how countries respond to the virus, for determining who is at risk and for knowing when it’s safe to go out again.
There are already hundreds of studies underway around the world looking into how demographics, preexisting conditions and genetics might affect the wide variation in impact.
The one thing we do know is that most who die had pre-existing conditions and tend to be over 55. Anyhow, some countries that are hot are sorta OK. Others are not.
Draconian social distancing and early lockdown measures have clearly been effective, but Myanmar and Cambodia did neither and have reported few cases.
Sweden has mostly done OK, too. So, what’s the answer? It’s a long article and worth the read (you can also read it on Yahoo). A couple interesting things they do not real delve into, first being that it seems to target the old and infirm specifically. People with conditions. But not the young. Which is very strange for any virus. It’s almost, dare I say, like it was tailored. The Chinese would never want to kill off their old and infirm who could not be productive, right?
A second interesting thing is how rarely we hear about those with BSV getting very sick. Consider all those spring breakers: we heard about them getting it, but, not if they were really sick. Just saying how many people have it is meaningless without knowing how bad their symptoms are. Kinda like the difference, for me, of sneezing and getting stuffy, maybe light coughing, from my allergies to dust mites, grass, and oak (OTC allergy pills dry me out), and eating a scallop, which can put me in the hospital.
Read: Bat Soup Virus Riddle: Why Does It Crush Some Places And Not Others? »
Working from home may not be better for the environment in the long-term as it could be offset by emissions in the home and additional car journeys, according to a study from the University of Sussex.
My first reaction to the comparison between the climate crisis and the pandemic: We cannot shelter in place for climate. Yet, symptoms are known. The physical repercussions of climate risk are very visible. So is the science. Regretfully, no vaccines nor tests would help in reversing climate change.
Owners of more than 120 of Georgia’s most popular restaurants announced this week they won’t be reopening their doors just yet, despite getting a green light to do so from the governor.
