Corona Stopped Humanity. What’s Next?

A tiny little virus that cannot be seen, cannot be touched, and even unheard of until a couple of months ago has turned our daily life upside down. The Coronavirus (Covid-19), detected in 164,000 people in 146 countries as of Monday, March 16, 2020, led to the loss of more than 6,500 people.

We are talking about an epidemic where tens of thousands of people who have had no contact with each other, thousands of kilometers away, including famous personalities, were infected. The virus was detected in many celebrities, political figures and athletes, i.e. the famous actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson. A new name is added every moment. While I was writing this article, the latest name tested positive was the world-famous Portuguese football coach Jorge Jesus.

In fact, when we look at the numbers, we are not talking about the most dangerous, deadliest epidemic of human history. However, it seems the effect will be felt for many years. The effect I mention is not related to health issues or even medical. The effect I’m talking about is mostly economic, political, social, and even environmental.

What are we talking about?

Let’s stop for a moment and concentrate; for many years, humanity has been debating the impending climate crisis or environmental disasters. Scientists issue warnings, politicians do not pay attention. Glaciers are melting, climates are changing, drought on one hand, seasonal abnormalities on the other hand, wildlife is disappearing, our clean water is vanishing and is getting polluted. Innumerable plans, programmes are drawn and meetings held to reduce carbon emissions; but at the end of the day, we realise that nobody has done much. At a point where the world was drifting full-speed towards a climate disaster, perhaps nothing else could have stopped humanities wrongdoings more radically.

We’re faced with a situation we could not have imagined until a few weeks ago. In many developed countries, giant metropolitan cities, life has stopped. People do not leave home or go to work, schools are closed. Planes are not flying. World trade has come to a halt, markets have plundered, and some governments have started imposing curfews. We’re not talking about a Hollywood movie script. Regional crises have been experienced many times in history, but for the first time in the present century, which we may call “modern times”, we’re faced with a crisis on a global scale.

I don’t personally think the virus outbreak will last for a very long time. The precautions taken and the warming weather will undoubtedly calm down the situation. However, we will soon feel the impact of all this on the economy, politics and our social life.

Let’s give a simple example: Many countries, especially China, USA and EU countries, have suspended international flights. In many countries, even domestic flights have come to a halt. According to Flight Radar data, we are observing the lowest number of flights in the last 30 days. Many airline companies have stopped flying and recruitment. When we reach the end of this crisis, some of these airlines may not be among us. We’re talking about an industry that indirectly employs 65 million people on a global scale, flies 4.5 billion people around, but also caused the release of 915 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in 2019. It is at a standstill today. And ironically, perhaps, the nature that gives us life takes a deep breath for the first time.

It may be possible in another way!

We sure cannot deny how important socialization, education, production, trade and industry are for humanity. However, the mother nature gives us a message:

“Stop and take a deep breath! All of these can be done in other ways.”

As a person who believes in science and scientific data, my goal is not to state that such a supernatural message has come from the universe. I’m not a person who believes in conspiracy theories either, and I’m sure COVID-19 is a simple virus that mutates and spreads naturally. Fortunately, thanks to modern medicine, we are much more advantageous than previous epidemics. But as we go upside down towards the inevitable end, perhaps there could be no better opportunity. Or don’t get it wrong, let me say it this way: COVID-19 may give us the tools to turn such a crisis into an opportunity.

What we are facing today has many messages for all of us, but especially for the politicians and the business world. This may be a new threshold for entire humanity for the first time to come together, to leave behind all the noise, conflict and wars, and to find solutions to establish a better future. Neither Trump nor Putin nor anyone else could have imagined what happened today. We are faced with such a small but gigantic power that suddenly turned the whole world, way of life, economy and habits of humanity upside down.

What we should not forget is that the Earth, and even the universe, is a whole. Many factors caused by a small conflict, a crisis, a natural disaster or a disease thousands of kilometers away, may affect you the next day. Just like a tiny virus in China has suddenly upset your entire life and the global economy.