By the start of April 2020, the Coronavirus was accelerating across the world at great human and economic cost.  After being first reported in the city of Wuhan in the Hubei region of China in December 2019, and the first death recorded there in early January 2020, this virulent virus had spread around most of the world within three months.  There were over a million cases and 53,000 fatalities reported around the globe by the start of April, with thousands of cases unrecorded  because of testing being unable to cater for the demand. There were in excess of 35,000 deaths from the virus reported in Europe alone.  An estimated 208,000 were said to have recovered from the disease according to John Hopkins University.  With no immunity in the population, and no treatment for the disease, health systems everywhere were struggling to cope with the pandemic.
People were advised to follow good practices in social distancing, hand washing and respiratory hygiene. In addition, countries responded with various restrictions: imposing some form of lockdown to control spread of the disease, closing schools and colleges, and asking people not involved in essential services to stay at home. Where possible, people were asked to work from home. This resulted in the closure of many businesses, and others with curtailed activities. Those employed in essential services were asked to continue for the national good. These services involved all categories in healthcare, the food chain, distribution, medical supplies, transport, retail, media, police and army. The economic fallout was swift and deep, with millions becoming unemployed in a short time. Most countries had to introduce various income supports. Many people found themselves unable to meet their mortgages and other payments, forcing them to seek special arrangements.  State revenue dropped, expenditure increased, resulting in a big strain on the public finances in each country. Such interventions on a big scale can make some provision for the short-term without huge damage, but not for long. While the coronavirus could be peaking in Europe, it appears to be starting and increasing in other parts of the globe. No one knows how long the virus will continue, which makes economic planning very difficult.  While some businesses and sectors can quickly recover, others will take time, and some will go burst.  Many practices will change permanently in global trade, remote working, retail shopping, learning, travel and tourism.  It will take time for consumer confidence to return. The short and long-term fallout will result in unemployment and exacerbate income inequality.
The coronavirus has shattered the illusion that humankind has the answers to all epidemics and other occurrences. It has made all recognise that what happens in one part of the world can affect everyone in short time. With international travel, trade, and modern communications, the world is a small place.  The experience will lead to a new focus on health systems in countries, on medical research, and on the common good, with major international collaboration rather than narrow nationalism.  The coronavirus has shocked the modern world by exposing its frailty and the need for fresh thinking to address new challenges.


Exploring Mayo by Bernard O’Hara is now available Worldwide as an eBook for the amazon Kindle application.
The print version of Bernard O’Hara’s book Exploring Mayo can be obtained by contacting www.mayobooks.ie.
Bernard O'Hara's book entitled Killasser: Heritage of a Mayo Parish is now on sale in the USA and UK as a paperback book at amazon.com, amazon.co.uk or Barnes and Noble
It is also available as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).
An earlier publication, a concise biography of Michael Davitt, entitled Davitt by Bernard O’Hara published in 2006 by Mayo County Council , is now available as Davitt: Irish Patriot and Father of the Land League by Bernard O’Hara, which was published in the USA by Tudor Gate Press (www.tudorgatepress.com) and is available from amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. It can be obtained as an eBook from the Apple iBookstore (for reading on iPad and iPhone), from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk (Kindle & Kindle Fire) and from Barnesandnoble.com (Nook tablet and eReader).