Corona times-2020....30. It is fascinating to look at the World Numbers! Most of the world is okay!

 If you look at the worldometer website you see that while Covid 19 is going up, the percentages  hold.  'Active cases', mild to serious ratio continues to be at 99:1 and 'closed cases',  recovered/discharge to death, is at 99:5

Like in a  marathon race, the lead keeps changing. Today India is leading in the number of new cases . It is still third in the number of new deaths. Most likely, these numbers will continue to be the same for a while. The mood has changed to acceptance from panic. Hopefully it will not lead to desperation.

The wordometer website has loads of information on Covid. 

Thought provoking that just five countries with 27% of the world population account for almost half the world cases and death

Top 5 countries, with a 27% population of the world, account for about half the cases and deaths due to COVID 19. I am sure there are reasons for this anomaly. USA is dependent mostly of private health care. India also has a large presence of private health care; Government health care, rightly or wrongly, is not trusted by many. Europe is a mixed bag but generally a good standard of health care. I have no idea about Brazil and South Africa. 

And there must be many more reasons. Could be Immunity. The nature of the Virus itself could be one more reason! I also feel there are a few innate strengths of each ethnic group which need to be considered!

Rest of the world is fine. Hopefully it continues to be safer!  

Interestingly the top five are one from each continent. Europe- UK , North America- USA, Asia -INDIA, South America-BRAZIL and Africa-S. AFRICA!

Another perspective: Asia and  Africa, belied the fears that these countries would have huge numbers, considering their population, level of development, poor health facility and so on! At the moment, death per one million population is much lower in Asia and Africa. (Oceania is negligible) While Indian numbers are going up I keep my fingers crossed that it will slow down.

The good, the bad and the ugly continue as ever in the world. Hopes of  idealists that humans will become better may be just a dream. Only experts and history can tell us about how another opportunity was lost!

The world leaders have to do a lot of rethinking. Democratic countries with its Capitalist model, and other forms of governments who adopted the Capitalist model need to change. At the moment it is all foolishness that seems to rule the world. We have forgotten all the slogans of free market, one global village and so on. Fruits of technology seems to be poisoned.

I feel like an idiot advocating fundamental changes in the way humans ought to go into the future. I know it will not happen. I was born when the world was waging a war! There were heroes and villains,both unwanted! Sadly that is how we are made. 


Comments

Chandrika Moudgal said…
Enjoyed the blog as always Uncle! With WFH, time seems to insufficient to keep with all your blogs. Hope Aunty and you are keeping well. Please stay safe!
doreswamy said…
Nice to see your comment Chandrika. I remember your father-in-law was the first to comment on my blogs. He always encouraged me to write! I visited my sister recently at Mantri and were thinking of your in-laws. I do miss them!
Ramesh SK said…
Hi Nidhi,

We are back in Auh and read your blog. Interesting statistics about Covid 19. I do hope like every one else that the numbers keep going down and we are able to live normally ( without having to wear masks/shields, human interaction, travel etc ).

Hope for the best and you & Tara stay safe.
doreswamy said…
Hi Ramesh
Nice to see your comments. Glad that your are back.
Let's hope that life gets some normalcy soon!
Best wishes to you and Sadhana
Nidhi
Anand Kumar said…
Hello Srinidhi:

Infections were major causes of death when you and I were born and
were growing up. Smallpox, polio, bubonic plague and cholera were
prominent. During the war bacterial infections killed more soldiers
(and civilians) than any other disease until penicillin was
discovered and produced. Capitalistic (or rich) countries denied its
availability to poor and socialist countries (Soviet Union in
particular) who lost a large number of people at peace and at War.
Jenner in England produced the first vaccine against Smallpox
(probably you know that the concept was in existence in poor,
colonised India) which saved millions of lives (Remember Smallpox
vaccinations we all received). Rich and poor countries joined hands to
eradicate smallpox (a viral disease). It will happen now also. So do
not despair. Rich (capitalistic) countries will develop vaccines and
India (poor/developing ?-choice is yours)) will produce it in quantity
for the world at large.
Anand
Dr.G. R. Raj said…
We are all concerned about the pandemic situation as it relates to India. While the actual incidence may be higher than the numbers quoted, the death rate seems to be still quite low

Again the question of accuracy persists
Ultimately we have to wait for ‘herd immunity’ and vaccines
I do not know how India will be able to afford and cover enough numbers when the vaccines are released

The economic impact is staggering

Not sure how it will end
From what I read ( from the online editions of Hindu, Deccan Herald etc) the bureaucracy is getting more powerful and seem to decide with not enough check by the health authorities.
Shanthi Srikanth said…
I have been thinking that Corona knows no discrimination, is a leveller. Your blog has proved it with the top five countries being from the 5 continents. No continent is spared...population, sophistication, education, culture,etc all thrown to the winds.
You have also rightly pointed out that humans evolving into better beings will remain a dream. It's like smashaana vairaagya that's fleeting. Already, again as u have said , humans have accepted the pervasive presence of the virus. Life will go on....
Sapna Balaji said…
👌
Well articulated Srinidhi😊
Rama Gopinath said…
We are all hoping for sane and intelligent leaders. We all want a happier earth. 😪

Let us keep our 🤞.

Rama

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