COVID-19: A War Analogy

Disclaimer: This article is in no way to make any political stance, or conspiratorial grounds at this crucial time in the world history. This is purely a personal idea of an analogical reference of COVID-19 to war. Could I be under the influence of fictional stories of biological warfare? I could be. Should you be too? It is utterly up to you.

(Cartoon Movement)

We are at war.

COVID-19 is hitting the world hard, if not just with pain, then definitely with enormous panic. Nations are scaling up their political commitment in response to the fright this virus has caused among the public. The public, is certainly under major pressure because after decades of being glued to all sorts of electronic screens, there is now a sudden urge to step out, travel and socialize, like never before! The transmission rate of CoV is dreadful and is without a doubt, a serious threat to the world. Over the months, we’ve witnessed major blows in the global economy especially through trade and tourism being paralyzed in various countries. Governments are being questioned in their approaches and strategies in dealing with this pandemic. Medical and Healthcare systems are being attacked with continuous flow of victims and suspect cases while having no actual test or cure for it. The death tolls have risen up every day while some of us are barely taking precautions until it hits the nearest city. The whole planet is somehow frozen at the moment.

We are at War.

There is no bloodshed, bombs and guns but it is agreeable that we are way ahead of conventional war styles. The most plausible kind of war that I would’ve expected in this era, would’ve been a cyberwar and I know this is obvious. Especially after the drone attack in January, popular media across the world made it seem like the beginning of WWIII. What was least anticipated, was a war through a biological agent, although it does pose a significant danger of being close to nuclear power. Of course, it wouldn’t be precise to describe this situation as a biological warfare but I don’t think there is a better analogy to COVID-19 than War.

First, the degree of psychological disruption it has caused among the people is insane. We have seen deadlier diseases than Corona Virus, even more pandemic in essence. So, this rippling effect of panic could either be intentional or completely banal. However, there has been a positive highlight to change human behaviors ranging from hygienic behaviors such as washing hands to social distancing.

Second, the death tolls are on the rise. Of course, there hasn’t been a mass slaughtering and blood-massacre, yet, but the projected mortality rate could be close to that of war. And if that is so, it could be, what some people might call, the “biggest medical holocaust” so far. The medical community is the frontline defense army right now while simultaneously carrying out researches to find conclusive measures on an actual CoV test, diagnosis and cure.  The virus, by all means, is spreading terror as could be supposed, and no bioweapon could have been designed to spread this quickly or indiscriminately. Well.

Third, COVID-19 is raiding the global economies by shutting down major trade routes, business companies and tourism at large. It is very likely that the whole world will be affected by the economic slowdown, or worse, recession. Working from home has become the ultimate solution for practicing social distancing but rather has become a fashion that not everybody was able to adapt to. What’s also proven to be pervasive besides corona virus itself, is the need to stock up food overnight. If this is not war, I don’t know what it is.

So, in so many ways, we are at war.  And I have to quote Dante Alighieri who said, “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”

I am not sure how each of us is going to make a difference in fighting this war with the CoV but I’ve come to learn that our herd of selfish beings composed with greed and ego, requires constant shocks of dread to remind us of impermanence, of life and to the extremes we’re forgetting these values. COVID-19, in this way, is one such stimulus that is reminding the whole world, of the values we’ve been missing. Just like War.