Fast and slow health crises of Homo urbanicus: loss of resilience in communicable diseases like COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases

摘要

New kind of health hazards awaits the present and future human populations. Considering the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the problems may arise from the loss of resilience, which has been defined as an ability to recover from or adjust to misfortune or change (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). The concept of resilience is complex and multidimensional, and psychological, societal, and immunological aspects are all critical to cope with a pandemic. Lack of the resilient immunity at individual and community level is obvious as COVID-19 seems to be a new virus to humans.