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Covid-19: What has it changed?

The different ways governments have responded to the coronavirus pandemic is quite incredible. Granted, it is a novel virus, but it is not the first. And this is the 21st century, which is to say that humanity has made enormous strides in terms of scientific and technological knowledge. Common sense alone dictates that we behave rationally to deal with the situation, by gathering all available information, adopting evidence-based strategies and policies, and assuring coordination among all countries. While we have witnessed solidarity initiatives in Asia, Europe and Africa, this is not the norm and in any case there is no real international collaboration.


In the United States, the response has been an absolute free-for-all, with a president who does not believe in the pandemic and asks people to drink bleach, governors who decide one thing today and something else tomorrow, city mayors who decide something else altogether, politicians who blame each other, and the list goes on.

Elsewhere, it has not been much better: in France, we saw the soap opera over masks, and in other countries this incredible dance of confinement-deconfinement-reconfinement based on changing statistics, interpretation of the science and prevailing interests.

And then there are the non-industrialized nations, which have been doing their best with their limited means. 
In terms of treatments and vaccines, the predominant approach seems to be each man for himself.

Lamentably, the only takeaway from this pandemic so far is that countries have not learned any lessons and the status quo prevails. We have to accept that conditions are not yet in place for any real change.

Benyounès

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