Some thoughts on the pandemic

摘要

My most earnest hope is that the crisis of this CO-VID-19 (CV-19) pandemic will have passed or at least been brought under control by the time this magazine goesto press, but I fear that it is a faint hope.Humanity experienced pandemics in the past, but outbreaks became more common as world travel increased and international commerce expanded. What once travelled slowly with the Mongol hordes creeping into Europe in the 13th century now has a first-class seat on an international flight.I have followed the present pandemic with intense interest and am, frankly, perplexed at some of the decisions that have been made. Let us just review what everyone now knows about the disease. First, CV-19 is a very fertile invader. The number of casesin Canada increased from 9,500 on April 1 to 64,000 on May 8. It is also a killer. At least 4,200 deaths have been attributed wholly, or partly, to the virus. But as a killer, CV-19 can't hold a candle to the Spanish flu of 1918-20 that ripped through Canada and the world. The estimated death rate in Canada due to that virus was approximately 6,250 per million of population. Presently the number of CV-19 deaths in Canada is around 119 per million.