COVID-19 COMMANDMENT

The world has been crippled by an invisible virus- Covid-19. Mighty nuclear powers with an arsenal as symbol of their prowess- US, UK, France, Russia- all have been sobered by this invisible enemy of mankind. The other UN Security Council member- China- is at the source of this virus crisis. The helplessness of these countries and their world body, the UN Security Council with the leitmotif of ensuring security worldwide, is the shocking developments of the last few months that stares at the existence of mankind. The virus has affected one and all, from Prime Minister to royals to laymen irrespective of their wealth, influence and status. It left them with little choice but to move heaven and earth to fight this virus but so far with little success.

Countries are in lockdown for months now, UK, France and India have extended their lockdown period, the economy has come to a standstill, growth and progress are past experience. Chinese GDP growth has contracted 6.8 percent in the first quarter of the year. A week before, five million have filed for unemployment benefits in the US alone. BBC reported that there are more than 2.17 million affected and 1,40 million dead worldwide as of 17 April. Countries are opening special care Covid hospitals, but no vaccine is available. The tragedy is endless and gargantuan.

Saaremaa is an island in Saare county of Estonia. Located in the Baltic Sea, the county is now famous as Covid island because most of the 33,000 population of the island are infected. The spread source here is Italy. On March 4-5 visiting Italian volleyball team Powervolley Milano played two matches against Saaremaa VK. Within a week the manager of the Saaremaa VK tested positive and soon the virus spread to other counties in Estonia, leaving none of them untouched. The Government of Estonia has locked down educational institutions, work places, declared emergency, suspended all travel and stepped up medical care, but the virus sped ahead of  government measures.

Discovery Science channel aired a broadcast in India on 16 April, dilating how the virus crisis started and gradually built up from Chinese city of Wuhan with a population of 11 million. China initially underreported the virulence of the virus, repressed the doctor who was a whistleblower and suppressed real figures and did not notify the WHO until 31 December,2019. Then came news of spreading virus from Italy, Spain, France, UK and the USA – in all places where China was deeply entrenched in business. The virus was spreading, death toll rapidly rising, and medical resources of all affected countries stretched to their limits. Every country was accusing China but China was defiant.

Covid -19 provides a period of “Happy Hypoxia”, when infected patients do not show any symptoms, when their body tissues were starved off breathable oxygen and Severely Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) engulfs amid no available cure. As implications, geopolitics and economic, security relations between and among states, particularly relative to China, will never be the same again in future

Author: Prof. P.L. Dash
The Author was Professor of International Relations and formerly Chair Professor, ICCR India Chair, University of World Economy and Diplomacy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.