Government leaders and health spokespersons need to have a rational, adult discussion with the public regarding the coronavirus.
First, the truth is there is no cure for numerous viruses, including the common cold, influenza, AIDS, dengue fever, and Ebola. Even with advanced modern medicine, the search for cures, vaccines, and treatments often takes years of research and trials. Therefore, it is highly unlikely a vaccine – let alone a cure – for the coronavirus will be available soon. The reality is that we will be living with this virus for the foreseeable future. Even the World Health Organization has finally admitted as much.
Second, given that the coronavirus is possibly here to stay, it is of great importance that the public understand that “cases” does not necessarily mean illnesses. News sources report millions of coronavirus “cases” throughout the world, but often fail to acknowledge that only a fraction of these “cases” developed the illness.
A more informed understanding of the actual risks posed by the coronavirus and the many reasonable ways to manage them contrasts with the safety-at-any-cost approach of most risk assessment and public health officials. Minimizing health risks is a noble goal but until a vaccine or cure is developed, public health authorities such as doctors might never declare the world safe from the coronavirus. Should these people be dictating public policy? Delaying border openings, for example, will not make the coronavirus or any other viruses go away. One could argue it is more dangerous, as isolation will prevent natural immunity from developing within the population. Keeping one’s head in the sand hoping the problem will miraculously disappear is pointless and counterproductive.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have a combined population of roughly five hundred million. About two million more than that of the United States. The EU and UK have around 181,0001 COVID-19 deaths of late and the U.S. about 113,0002.
Despite the anti-American slant of European news sources, the math hardly adds up to the United States being the epicenter of the virus. Referring to the United States as “dangerous and too risky” as epidemiologist Dr. Izzy Gerstenbluth of Curaçao recently did is highly irresponsible. Does the good doctor really believe visitors from the U.S. pose a greater risk to Curaçao than those from Europe? The numbers suggest the opposite.
Nonetheless, whether visitors from Europe or the United States are allowed in or not will make no difference as one is not more virus-risky than the other actually. The virus exists plain and simple. Just like other viruses.
Clearly, walking back the coronavirus hysteria after months of media investment in it will require re-educating the public on what the coronavirus is and is not. It is not air-born Ebola. It will not kill you on contact. Most people exposed to the coronavirus have mild to no symptoms. The coronavirus is not the plague.
Importantly, the elderly and immune-compromised persons are at greater risk to all viruses, not just the coronavirus. The common cold virus might kill someone weak from old age if contracted too.
Irrespective of the particular virus strain, humans do what they can to lessen the impact of the outbreak, but living in a bubble should not be one of them.
Gunsor Buther
Curaçao
